


Diamond Pearls

by Zeliez



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: A Piece Of Shit Boyfriend, Abusive Relationships, Affective Dependence, Again and again flirt, Alcohol, Animalistic Sans (Undertale), Bad one tho, Best Friends, Domestic Violence, Drug Use, Drunkenness, Ecto-Tongue (Undertale), Emotional Manipulation, F/F, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, French to english, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Manipulative Relationship, Masturbation, Non-Consensual Touching, Passive-aggression, Possessive Sans (Undertale), Protective Sans (Undertale), Reader Has A Name, Reader Has Issues, Romantic Friendship, Sans (Undertale) Has Issues, Scary Sans (Undertale), Situation under tension, Slow Burn, Translation, Vaginal Sex, flirt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:41:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 32,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27248197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeliez/pseuds/Zeliez
Summary: Emilie(Reader) is a gentle and kind person who is on the verge of a mental breakdown due to the mistreatment of her boyfriend, Jericho. Manipulative and narcissistic, her boyfriend becomes Papyrus' best friend. She thinks her fall will never end.But in the midst of all this emotional fuss, Sans will be like a lifeline in her miserable life.
Relationships: Alphys/Undyne (Undertale), Sans (Undertale)/Original Female Character(s), Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Comments: 98
Kudos: 141





	1. Heckling Routine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LylouChan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LylouChan/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Perles de diamant](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26513503) by [LylouChan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LylouChan/pseuds/LylouChan). 



> It's her first UT fanfiction! She's stressed so try to support her the best you can!
> 
> Emilie is the reader, it was supposed to be only Reader at the beginning, but in the end, she finished to be an OC.
> 
> The original version is in French, but I like the story so I asked her if she was ok for me to translate it badly.  
> And she said, sure.  
> So here we arreeeee

The apartment is soothed by soft noises. The television is playing some scenes from a video game and we can say that they are battle scenes of great intensity. My fingers press the buttons on the joystick and my eyes analyze every movement of the boss. It's quite difficult, the big tentacle monster often poisons the heroes and it's quite annoying to hide all the time to heal yourself. I click my tongue. One of my characters is dead. Again. It's getting annoying! What an idea to make the game difficult just to get the platinum trophy. I sincerely regret my choice, even if it's to make up for my boredom in this empty studio.

I hear bursts of voices at my door. It must be Jeff finally coming home, accompanied by one of his friends. I sigh, it's becoming a habit that he comes home at any time of day with buddies who change depending on the day of the week. Some of them are pretty nice but there are others that I prefer not to be alone with them. They are suspicious with their nasty glance at my body. It's a pity that there is no room to hide in those moments.

A bunch of keys slams near the lock and the door unlocks. I pause my game just before the same character dies a third time. I curse the character internally for his suicidal desires to always be stuck in front of the boss. I shrug my shoulders, put the controller on the coffee table in front of me and turn my head to the door that opens. Jeff comes in with his head slightly tilted to the side and a big smile on his face. He's so busy talking to the newcomer that he doesn't even look at me. It doesn't have time to affect me because my eyes are focused on the new person coming in with him.

He's a big skeleton, dressed in some kind of armor. He's so tall that I have to raise my head to look into his eyes (it's true that having the couch three steps from the door doesn't help). His face has the biggest of smiles, his deep black eyes scan all around him with unrestrained excitement. His gaze falls on me and his smile is even more sparkling.

"HELLO SMALL HUMAN!" he exclaimed, vigorously waving his gloved hand.

I jumped at his loud and high-pitched voice. I'm really surprised that he could have such a voice, but I quickly come to my senses. I don't want to sound rude. I stand up and answer him in a shy voice:

"Hello..."

"DON'T BE AFRAID, LITTLE HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL PROPERLY INTRODUCE MYSELF AND SHOW YOU THE JOYS OF A GREAT FRIENDSHIP, AS SOON AS I AM TOTALLY HOME!"

I briefly analyze what he says and I finally notice that he is still on the threshold of the door. Jeff blinks, the doorknob still in his hand.

"Hey, Papyrus, you can come in, you know," he says, sheepishly.

"I'M JUST WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO TELL ME! I DON'T WANT TO BE A WORTHLESS, TACTLESS GUEST!" The fist of his hand proudly slaps his armor on his chest. Jeff chuckles at his behavior.

"Come on in, guys."

Papyrus enters with a "NYEH" of happiness. I notice a smaller silhouette behind the skeleton but I don't have time to analyze that Papyrus takes my hands in his. My eyes are stuck to his face that I find more and more adorable. He leans over at my level so that I don't feel scared about his height.

"NICE TO KNOW YOU, LITTLE HUMAN! MY NAME IS PAPYRUS, I'M A FRIEND OF YOUR LITTLE HUMAN BOYFRIEND! AND YOU?"

"Uh..." I take a little breath to relax a bit and give him a nice smile. He looks so nice, despite his voice and his big size. "My name is Emilie. Nice to meet you too, Papyrus."

I gently shake his hands as a greeting. He seems to like it because of his big smile. He imitates my gesture with more vigor. I am a little moved by his strength and that makes me laugh. I am clearly relaxing. Being shy and reserved by nature, I easily frighten myself, especially in front of an imposing being. Whether it is human or monster. But seeing Papyrus being so kind and enthusiastic, he is pure innocence and quickly puts me at ease.

"YOU ARE SO KIND AND POLITE! I'M SO HAPPY TO FINALLY HAVE HUMAN FRIENDS!" I frown at his words. "I FEEL A GREAT FRIENDSHIP BEING BORN BETWEEN US!"

"I hope to be your friend too, you look exceptional!"

I sigh inside when he stops shaking me. My arms were starting to hurt but I didn't dare to say anything for fear of hurting this cinnamon roll face.

"I AM, I'M EVEN UNIQUE! NYEHHEH!" And all of a sudden, he released my hands and turned around. "SANS! SAY HELLO TO THE HUMAN!"

"that's what i was gonna do, brother. i was just waiting for my turn."

The deep, low voice comes from behind Papyrus. He moves away and I can finally see the person waiting patiently without saying a word. Unsurprisingly, he is also a skeleton. Much smaller, he looks relaxed with his hands in the pockets of his blue hoodie. His smile seems to be stuck on his rounded skull and his little lights in his black eye sockets are fixed on me. His lights immediately fascinate me: they look like stars, shining like crystals in a deep sea.

He comes into the apartment, Jeff takes the opportunity to finally close behind him. This skeleton walks slowly towards me and I notice that he is maybe half a head shorter than me. My eyes are drawn to the beautiful pink color at his feet. He is wearing fluffy and comfortable slippers. I can hardly suppress a giggle at this unusual look and concentrate on his face. He seems to have noticed my restraint but says nothing.

He extends his hand towards me, undisturbed.

"my name is sans, sans the skeleton. the big brother of paps."

My eyes glance at his hand. He really had a skeletal hand but not quite like a human. His bones, pearly white, are much bigger and his palm is in one piece, like the palm of a human. It's really interesting!

I shake my head internally, cursing myself for being so silent in front of his reaching hand. I grasp it while looking straight into his eyes, noticing that his smile is tighter. Gee, I hope he's not mad at me.

" Excuse me, I'm really sorry! It's the first time I've seen a hand like that and I was captivated! I didn't mean to be disrespectful!"

"no problem, kid."

I feel a restraint from him. We shake our hands and it allows me to feel all the texture and warmth of his hand. It feels like hot porcelain but not as hard as I thought. I can't hold back:

"You are very soft."

"huh?"

"You're soft, like a baby's skin. It's super nice!"

"...uh." He seems uncomfortable. "i have no skin."

"Well, you're soft like... baby's bones?"

I'm not sure where I was going with my meaningless sentences. The laughter of Sans stops my worries straight. My God, his laugh can charm any girl in need of affection.

"not bad, kiddo. i've never heard that line but it brightens up my day."

"Then again, you haven't seen it all with me." I give him a big smile, he looks as sweet as Papyrus and that makes me feel comfortable.

"oh? as soon as i get inside your house you want to reveal everything to me?"

He winks at me. Ah, he's a tease, just like me. I laugh at his antics, my cheeks on fire. Stupid shyness!

"Right away the big words, sir. I am an honest w-"

"Sweetie, you should stop bothering our guests."

Jeff's sharp voice freezes me and my positive mood fades away. I look at my hand joined with Sans' and I suddenly pull it out, looking down.

"I'm sorry." I breathe, my fingers intertwined. "I didn't mean to bother you."

"hey, it's okay, you didn't do anything wrong." Sans frowns, then gives Jeff a sharp glare but Jeff ignores him completely. Papyrus, on the other hand, is embarrassed by the new tension and keeps fiddling with his gloves.

"NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE, LITTLE HUMAN! WE APPRECIATED YOUR RECEPTION, EVEN IF I STILL DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEANT BY 'THE BABY BONES'!"

I laugh softly at their words, it puts balm in my heart.

"Thank you both. You are kind."

It's a change to have kindness in this apartment and I'll be damned if I don't give them a warm and comfortable welcome. These are the first monster friends that come in here and I want to give them good impressions.

"Would you like to drink something? Coffee, tea, chocolate?"

"coffee would be nice."

"CHOCOLATE PLEASE!"

"Coffee."

Jeff's request is abrupt, tasteless, but I don't let it get to me. He's mad at me for something and I don't want to know why. I give the three of them a quick smile and then leave for the kitchen at the other side of the room. I need to keep my mind occupied and especially to be away from my boyfriend's bad mood.

As I prepare the cups, I hear Jeff's cheerful voice.

"Would you like to visit my place?"

"OF COURSE, HUMAN FRIEND! IT LOOKS SMALL BUT VERY COMFORTABLE!"

"We're doing the best we can, Paps. It was one of the cheapest apartments near downtown."

It is true that Ebott City has become a city almost exclusively for monsters. When they came to the surface four years ago, they preferred to stay in the mountain city. Especially after the welcome of the military and being in quarantine for months, they were cooled down to travel the rest of the world. Except some of course. The monsters started to buy most of the houses and the estate market boomed soon after. Most humans moved away from the city out of fear of the new species and because of the exorbitant rents. A few stayed in the city, but there are more on the outskirts. On the other hand, the downtown area is home to only monsters.

Jeff and I live in one of the few buildings managed by a human owner, a ten-minute walk from downtown. Even though it's an old, poorly isolated building where the electricity can blow up, the rent is pretty good and the landlord refuses to sell it to monsters. Although this building doesn't pay much because of the six apartments, only half of them are used.

And so Jeff shows the studio to the skeleton brothers. As soon as we come back, we are in the living room. To the left of the front door is Jeff's office with his computer, which was obviously mine. To the right of the entrance, there is the TV cabinet with old TV, console and DVD player. There is a two-seater olive green sofa with the matching armchair and a coffee table with a joystick waiting for its owner.

A semblance of a wooden counter separates the living room and the kitchen. The entire right side is made for the kitchen, with an electric gas stove, a sink, a washing machine and a storage cabinet where the microwave, which operates with four cups, is located. On the left side there is a small refrigerator with a coffee maker on it, a double bed and a large chest of drawers.

Next to the fridge there is a door that leads to a hallway. To the right in this hallway, a second door rises to the bathroom where only a sink, a bathtub and a storage cabinet sit. At the end of this corridor, a last door stands and hides the toilet.

Jeff is proud to introduce all of this to his new friends. He says that some things are his, even if it's not exactly true. I start putting the chocolate powder in the hot milk when they come back from the hallway.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND ONE THING: WHY IS THERE A BED IN THE KITCHEN?"

"No room." Jeff answers with a big smile. "There's no room, it's a studio."

"HM, HOW STRANGE!" Papyrus puts his hand under his chin, looking serious, trying to solve this great mystery.

"at least you don't have to go far if you're hungry."

I laugh when I hear that. I turn to them, who are standing in the middle of the kitchen.

"Two steps between the bed and the fridge, isn't that heaven?"

The lights of Sans shine brighter towards me and his smile gets bigger.

"heh, you know how to find the right words, kid."

"NO, THAT WOULD BE HELL! WITH A LAZYBONE LIKE YOU, I COULD NEVER GET YOU OUT OF BED AGAIN!!"

"you know what to get me for my birthday, paps."

"NEVER!"

Jeff and I laugh wholeheartedly. The exchange between the brothers is lively. Papyrus is in a monologue about how having a fridge in a room is the worst idea ever, and sans listens to him so lazily that it pisses his brother off even more. It's a real breath of fresh air to hear them heckling like that.

With a smile stuck to my lips, I carry the cups into the living room, along with the sugar and the milk. I call the boys to say it's ready and sit on the chair, which is right next to the TV cabinet, opposite the sofa. They arrive at once, the fraternal agitation calmed down. Sans takes the place at the corner of the sofa, in front of me. Jeff sits in the middle and Papyrus is at the right angle of the sofa. They seem to be a little tight with three guys on such a small sofa. That makes me laugh softly.

"Sugar, Papyrus?" I ask as I hand out the spoons, although I guess you don't add sugar to hot chocolate.

"YES, THREE SUGARS PLEASE!"

My assumption is inaccurate. I rummage through the sugar bowl, put three sugars in his cup and put it in front of him. He thanks me with joy, which only makes my smile bigger. I do the same for Jeff, knowing very well his habits of his two sugars. He gives me a faint thank you, without taking a look at me. I move on to Sans, waiting for his answer:

"no sugar for me, kiddo."

"Are you sure? The coffee's pretty strong."

"yeah, don't worry. it'll wake up my old bones."

I giggle and put his steaming mug in front of him. He's about to take it, but I can't help but make a joke:

"Surely this coffee can wake dead!"

He stops suddenly and gives me a penetrating glance. You can hear a fly flying in the apartment and I immediately regret my lame sense of humor. Papyrus doesn't know where to stand and Jeff gives me a nasty look. I turn peony red, getting ready to apologize when an intense laugh is heard in the room. Sans holds his stomach (?), shaken by his unrestrained laughter. His smile has become much bigger, real, and blue tears are formed at the corners of his closed eyes. I feel a pride rising within me in front of such a spectacle.

He calms down gently, wiping away his tears. He casts an amused look at me, his cheeks blue from his explosion. For a moment, I wonder if everything in him comes out blue. It is strange but fascinating at the same time.

"wow, kid. You're a funny one, huh."

"I'm trying to be." I answer, touching my fingers shyly. "Even though my sense of humor sucks at times."

"why do you say that?"

"Because it's misunderstood and it puts me in awkward situations."

"people can suck sometimes. don't change, it was great."

He winks at me, his blue color evaporates. His words warm my heart. I grab my cup, with my little sugar, stir and take a sip of my drink. I sigh with contentment, enjoying this nectar of the gods. I cast a glance at the skeleton brothers, my curiosity piqued. How can a skeleton drink? Papyrus, in the middle of a conversation with Jeff, opens his mouth wide and pours the liquid into the black abyss at the back of his throat. Huh? Then I look at Sans, whose cup is stuck to his teeth. How does it work? Does it go between his teeth or something?

I feel guilty for my indiscreet desire to know when I notice that his lights are shining right on me. I take a keen interest in my cup, glance at the coffee and then take another quick sip. I look at the skeleton again. His gaze is fixed on my lips and then on my throat as I swallow. Looks like I'm not the only curious one in the story.

"So," I begin, trying to have something to talk about. "How did you and Jeff become friends?"

"through unfortunate circumstances."

His voice is dull and he shrugs his shoulders. I frown at this change in mood. Papyrus waves his arms, happy to answer this question:

"YOU SEE, LITTLE HUMAN, I MET YOUR HUMAN BOYFRIEND THIS MORNING WHILE SHOPPING! THE POOR GUY WAS OUT ON THE ROAD!"

"The car broke down again?" I ask Jeff, frowning.

"Yeah, it broke down when I wanted to go to the center." His voice wasn't angry. "But I'm glad it broke down! Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to meet Papyrus!"

"NYEHHEH! YOU'RE LUCKY I WENT THROUGH THAT, HUMAN FRIEND! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, PARKED AND RESCUED THE UNFORTUNATE MAN FROM THE ROAD!"

"You were too classy with your Ferrari and your flying scarf!"

Jeff is ecstatic in front of the big skeleton.

"You're my savior, Paps!"

"NYEHHEH!" An orange dust appears on his cheekbones. "I WASN'T ABOUT TO LEAVE A HUMAN BEING IN NEED!" He comes back to me. "SO I FIXED HIS CAR! IT'S RUNNING, EVEN IF IT WILL NEED PARTS TO NOT HAVE THE SAME SITUATION AS THIS MORNING! THEN WE TALKED!

"And talked!"

"AND TALKED A LOT AND MY HUMAN FRIEND INVITED US TO HIS HOUSE TO THANK US!"

I nod my head. I am happy that all ended well but that does not prevent a form of weariness from winning me over.

"We should change the car, baby." I try to persuade. " We always have problems with it. "

" Not possible! She's my baby and I've been through enough shit to get her!"

"LANGUAGE, HUMAN!"

"I'm sorry, Paps."

I sigh deeply. Of course, taking money from an ex must have taken a lot of effort. Sarcasm does not suit me, especially in this kind of situation. In a weak voice, I try one last time:

"What are you gonna do about the car's parts?"

"We'll find a solution, don't worry!"

_By taking my credit card. It has always been the solution for everything._

I feel tired of all this. I sigh again and get ready to get up when Jeff continues in his speech:

"You're not going to start causing trouble again! We've got guests, just so you know!"

I take one look at Jeff. He is unhappy with my behavior. I can see the skeleton brothers' faces in disbelief and I'm ashamed to put them in this kind of situation. The embarrassment hurts me more than the disapproving look on my boyfriend's face.

I get up and take the empty cups with my head down. I walk into the kitchen and put the cups in the sink.

"IS THE LITTLE HUMAN OKAY?"

"Yeah, don't worry." Jeff responds casually. "These are couple stuff! Do you guys want to go to the computer? I'll show you the joys of human social networking!"

"WITH PLEASURE, MY HUMAN FRIEND!"

"i think i'll stay on the couch. the desk is too far away."

"SANS! YOU LAZY BONE! THERE'S ONLY TWO STEPS TO GO!"

"for you, paps. from my point of view, it's more than six."

"YOU'RE HOPELESS!"

"i can't be hopeless if i'm sans."

"AAAAAAAAH!"

I smile when I wash the dishes. It's such a balm to the heart when it bleeds.


	2. Behind an enclosed door

“It's ok, Paps. Sans, next time? ”

“sure.”

I finish washing the cups and wipe my hands with the kitchen towel. I turn around and see Jeff and Papyrus at the office, sitting in front of the computer talking about stuff. Sans is slumped over, his arm stretched out on the back of the couch. I walk towards him and sit to his right, avoiding leaning back too far and brushing against his arm.

“you're ok, kid ?”

His voice is weak, discreet. I look at him attentively. There is nothing I can detect on his face, except his lazy expression. His eyes are not even fixed on me, he is rather interested in my paused screen. For a moment, I'm afraid that Jeff will hear my answer but he's too busy with Papyrus. Moreover, the loud and high-pitched voice of the great skeleton covers well our conversation.

“I'm alright, don't worry.”

"you gotta need to put more conviction into it, then."

I lower my head and nibble my lip. It's true that my voice I sound pretty pathetic right now. He takes his eyes off the TV and turns to me. He looks at me for a few seconds, with an impenetrable gaze.

"Is it often like this?"

"Well, yes." I take a breath, trying to calm my fragile nerves. "No? I don't know. It's not always like this. He must be in a bad mood because of his car."

"hm."

I'm afraid that he can hear us and ignores it on purpose and later I'll suffer the consequences. This thought fills me with dread. I look at Sans, with a begging look on my face.

"Can we talk about something else? Please..."

He must have sensed the fear in me because his expression suddenly changed. His non-existent eyebrows frowned, the lights in his eyes narrowed and became dull. His smile is tight, it has almost become a grimace. His face is the very definition of cold anger. Then, all of a sudden, this feeling disappears. Sans has returned to his neutral state as if nothing had happened. I am completely stunned by these contradictory signs.

"sure, kid." He shrugs and turns to the screen again. "what kind of game is this?"

"Uh..." I blinked, surprised, but I'm glad he agreed to change the subject. I smile, putting aside my negative emotions. "It's an RPG called Final Fantasy! I love this game, I've finished it twice and now I'm trying to play the hard mode to get a trophy!"

"a trophy?"

"Yes! It's kind of a reward when you accomplish certain conditions!" I take the controller, which has been loosely left on the coffee table, and hand it to him, "You want to play?"

"no, too much work. i'd rather watch."

I giggle at such laziness. Too bad, it would have been fun to see him playing and struggling in front of this boss.

"All right! Watch the pro do miracles!"

I wink at him. His smile gets bigger and does the same. I start the game and look at the boss with a defiant look on my face.

A few times pass and it's a disaster! My characters die, again and again, the life bar of the boss barely goes down and Sans doesn't stop giggling in front of my annoyance. Frankly, he doesn't help my concentration with his little laughs and comments!

"i didn't know you could have such a rich vocabulary."

"Sans! You don't help me!"

"such a rich? i mean it's so flowery."

"Grrr, shit! He's dead again!"

"oopsie-daisy."

"Focus, focus, focus. Hurry, heal him, heal him!"

"What does the flower say when it wants you to leave it alone?"

"Sans! You're going to have the controller on your face if you don't leave me..."

"begonia."

I look at him for seconds, abandoning my game and the character in agony. His smile is wide and mischievous. He's having a good time and frankly, so am I. The background noise of a second dying character can be heard and after that I burst out laughing. My nerves break. I laugh so much that I start making alarming squeaking noises: that's the joy of my crazy laughter. Sans is a little worried by these unidentified noises but when he sees that I keep laughing madly, his smile is much bigger.

Papyrus and Jeff have stopped doing what they were doing on the computer and look at me like I'm crazy. My abs hurt like hell. I'm trying to calm myself down with difficulty, I'm still shaken by my laughter.

"wow, that's a communicative laugh."

"Y-Yes, sorry!" I'm sniffing, wiping away my tears. "I make weird noises w-when I have a good laugh."

"heh, that's a nice noise. you should do it more often."

I blush at his compliment. It makes me feel good to be told something nice. Really, it feels good. I give him a tender smile.

"Thank you Sans, you are nice."

That one sentence is the effect of a punch to the little skeleton. His wide smile disappears immediately and his eyes go wide open. His lights search through me, as if he is trying to understand something underlying.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT, LITTLE HUMAN? YOU WERE MAKING A WEIRD NOISE AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE CHOKING!"

I look at Papyrus, who looks worried. I try to calm my blush and give him a smile.

"It's going to be okay, Papy. It's usual for me to laugh like that. Especially since I haven't laughed like that for a while, it feels good!"

"P-PAPY?"

"O-oh! I'm sorry! If it bothers you, I can call you something else if you want!"

Papyrus gives me a huge smile and an orange blush spreads over his cheeks. You could almost see stars in his eyes.

"NO, LITTLE HUMAN! CALLING ME PAPY IS FINE FOR ME! IT PROVES THAT A GREAT FRIENDSHIP IS BEING CREATED BETWEEN US!"

"Of course, Papy! And if you want, you can call me by my nickname."

"which is?"

I turn to Sans, who is lying nonchalantly on the back of the sofa, his hand supporting his head. Eyes half-closed with a lazy smile. With a certain shyness, I answer them:

“Lili.”

“heh, cute.”

"IT'S A VERY PRETTY NICKNAME, LITTLE HUMAN!"

I'm blushing. I notice that Papy didn't call me by my nickname, which is normal. We've only known each other for a few hours. But what grabs my attention more is the baritone voice of Sans who insists more on the word "cute".

_Arf, naughtyyy!_

A clack of the tongue is waiting in the room and a bad mood is circulating from the office. A bad mood covered with a false semblance of joy.

"Paps! Sans!" Jeff calls, his voice is a little too cheerful. "Look what I found on a profile! Lots of pictures from a trip to Thailand!"

"WHERE? WHERE?" Paps rushes in front of the screen, his eyes shining. "WOWIE! IT'S BEAUTIFUL, WITH THIS BEACH AND ALL THIS TURQUOISE WATER! SANS, LOOK!"

"i'll pass." He closes his eyes, calm.

"Come on, Sans! Come here, buddy!"

  
The little skeleton suddenly opens his eye sockets and gives Jeff a sharp look for a second. Then his peaceful expression comes back, wondering if this cold feeling isn't coming from the imagination of the two humans here, including me.

"I said I'll pass, buddy. Next time."

"U-Uh, yeah, sure..."

I turn away from this strange interaction and take the controller to finish this boss and move on. I sigh loudly because a nice "game over" is displayed on the screen.

"You're making a lot of noise, kid."

"I give up."

"oh? already?"

"I've been playing it for a while and I'm not getting anything out of it. The hard mode is terrible! They get killed all the time, especially one that's always attacking head-on."

"maybe you're not good at controlling it, heh."

"Maybe I am. I don't like the challenge after all. Or maybe..." I look at him, mischievously. "Maybe she likes tentacles."

I stare at him intensely, to see if he knows the reference between women and tentacles. Seeing how his smile becomes mischievous, I think he knows. I go from surprise to surprise with him.

"i don't understand the connection, can you tell me more?"

His tone is light, with a laughing look in his eyes. I decide to play his game. I bend over slightly and whisper:

"Yamete, onii-chan."

We burst out laughing, under Jeff's nasty gaze and Papy's confused look. We continue to make lame humor, leaving the unfortunate game aside. Everything is going well, I totally relax in front of the little skeleton. He is very good company and his humor fits well with mine.

Around dinner time, the skeleton brothers decide to leave. It's a shame, I was having fun. After a warm farewell from Papy, they leave the studio. Jeff escorts them to the front door of our building.

Alone, I decided to put away some dishes to keep myself busy, with a smile on my face. It was a good time with the brothers, I hope to see them again soon and get to know them better. Papy is so pure and Sans such a jokester, with his lazy side. It's a good mix of them, even if they are totally the opposite.

I hear the door slam and I turn around, seeing Jeff lock the door and take off his shoes. I put the tools down and walk towards him.

"It was a great afternoon! They're great, don't you think?" My joy is radiant, I can't contain it.

"Yeah."

His flat answer immediately makes me anxious. He sits at his desk and looks at me for a long time. I don't like that look. I don't like that silence.

"What's up?" I breathe, my cheerfulness was gone up in smoke.

"What's up?" he repeats, in a cynical tone. "You really ask me what's up now? Really, baby, I thought you were smarter."

His remark hurts me. I wonder what I did to deserve his anger.

_What have I done now?_

In front of my silence, his fury explodes:

"Do you think it's normal to behave the way you do??? Making your twisted jokes and being all sweet afterward! You've embarrassed our guests!"

I'm frozen in place, completely frozen by his floods of reproaches. I lower my head, my intertwined fingers with force.

"B-But... they s-said it was n-not important..."

"They said that because they are much better educated than you! Do you really think that's something to say on a first encounter?"

“...”

"No, you don't! You're being snooty, embarrassing our guests and you're practically lying on the arm of one of them! Do you think I haven't noticed?"

I find the last part totally unfair but I am unable to argue. My throat is totally constricted by grief, my lips are nervously nipped, and I try to hold back the tears that obscure my vision.

"And this sentence." Jeff stands up sharply, making me startle. "That sentence you said to him, that stupid 'yamete', I heard it very well! I didn't know where to put myself after that, I was so ashamed! I didn't know you could be so stupid to say that!"

My being is totally frozen, my body trembling with fear and my sobs contained.

"You did it on purpose, didn't you? You wanted to set a bad mood, so I wouldn't be friends with them?"

"N-n-n-no..."

"I'll tell you something, honey: you can do anything to screw it up but it's never going to work. And you know why? Because they're my friends, they'll always be on my side, and you have nothing."

He comes slowly towards me, his fury turned into something more vicious.

"Do you understand that? They are **my friends** , stop taking their attention, you are nothing to them. You're nothing but dead weight."

My tears can no longer be contained. I run away from him and rush to the bathroom. I didn't want him to see me like this, I didn't want to be with him for another moment. It hurts too much...

Just before I close the door, I can hear this sentence, pronounced in a disgusted tone.

"Women, all the same."

I slam the door and let the sobs overwhelm me. I stand at the sink, the mirror reflecting my reddened face, full of tears. Suffocated moans tear from my throat, pain squeezes my stomach and chest.

_I don't deserve this. I didn't do anything wrong, I don't deserve it. I may have exaggerated with my jokes, but I don't deserve to be yelled at like this. I don't deserve it, do I?_

Knocking can be heard on the door.

"Come on, baby, open the door."

I wipe my face and spread black makeup on my cheeks. I try to calm my crying with difficulty. Facing my lack of response, Jeff continues:

"Please." His voice is soft, like velvet.

I give in, cursing myself for my weakness. I open up and see him in the frame, his face dark.

"You look like hell."

_Whose fault is that?_

I don't say anything, I nibble my lip, my eyes watering. With an empty look, he stares at me for a few moments, and then he sighs for a long time.

"Come on, let's go."

He takes me in his arms and hugs me tightly. I let him do it, exhausted by the emotions. I don't respond to his embrace until a moment later. His warmth is good for me, it heals my wounds for which he is responsible. How can I accept his affection, after what he has done to me? I don't recognize myself anymore... and I haven't for a long time.

He says words to me in a low voice. Words that a girl would dream of hearing, rocking me in a semblance of love, in a twisted tenderness.

"I'm stressed. These are the first monster friends I have and I want everything to be perfect. Do you understand? I know you can understand, baby. Let me handle everything and stay back, it's for their own good."

He makes me promise things I don't want, makes me believe I'm responsible for what happens to me. Maybe he's not wrong after all? Is it really me who thinks so, or is it just exhaustion speaking for me?

"Come on, baby," he says, taking me back to bed. "I'll make you forget all about it."

His lustful look leaves no room for imagination. It doesn't matter, nothing matters. It's always like that, anyway. This spiral goes on, for years and years, finding no end.

During this night, for once in so long, I feel loved by him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the original version, Lylou said:  
> I preferred to cut the erotic scene between these two because I don't think we would want to see this perverted and rotten man boning his "victim". ^^' I hope you enjoyed it despite that!
> 
> Me during translation: ...Let's make Jeff say dumb things instead of SHITTING LIES OF SUPPOSED LOVE.  
> Also me: But I want it to be a good translation.


	3. Surprise test!

Several days have passed since the argument. The following days are similar. I am often alone in the apartment, trying to find an activity to fill my loneliness; but thanks to the fact that I do the same things every day, I don't want to do them again. The TV has no interesting programmes, the video games have been done and redone, the housework has never been so well accomplished.

Jeff is never around and comes home late at night. He spends his day at the training center and after it, he spends his time with Papy and Sans. I know this because the day after our fight, seeing that he wasn't coming home after school, I called him to find out where he was and he told me that he was enjoying his free time with the skeleton brothers. I am happy for him but, at the same time, my heart is getting heavy. I would have liked to see the brothers too, to spend time with them. They are so nice, but after Jeff's settlement, I don't dare anymore. Jeff didn't invite me and cut off the phone call, leaving me in the background in this too quiet studio.

I don't dare, I don't dare anymore. The only moments of any semblance of happiness are at night when my boyfriend comes home and holds me in his arms, under the sheets. My solitude is cut off, for a moment, during our sensual dance. However, it doesn't last. Nothing lasts with him. Once again, I feel cold in the morning, when I know that he is already gone.

_ Is this a normal couple life? Pff, I already know the answer... _

Slumped on the couch, I watch a cooking show. It's not very exciting, but you have to pass the time. I hear heavy footsteps and shouting behind the front door. I jump at this sudden sound, holding my hands with hope. I recognize that voice that no wall can muffle.

The door opens, revealing Jeff and a very lively Papy. The big skeleton notices me immediately and his smile is even more beaming:

"HELLO, LITTLE HUMAN!"

I barely have time to get up when he rushes towards me and takes me in his arms. The warmth of his body surprises me, but even if his embrace is a little too tight, I can only feel happiness. I respond as I can, caressing the back of his armor. I think that touching his clothed spine is not really appropriate.

"Hello, Papy! It's good to see you again!" I giggle.

"ME TOO, LITTLE HUMAN! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"

"Oh." That statement warms my heart. "I missed you too, Papy."

He releases me gently, a happy expression stuck to his face. I give him a big smile and notice another, much more discreet skeleton.

"Hello, Sans."

"yo, kiddo."

He winks at me. I'm about to make a little joke, but Jeff's warning stare silences me right away. His eyes make me uncomfortable, giving me a bitter taste in my mouth. Sans notices our exchange and his lights dim.

"Would you boys like something to drink?" I try to maintain a semblance of inner cheerfulness.

"SURE! IS THERE ANY CHOCOLATE LEFT?"

"Yes, Papy, there's always chocolate at my house."

This innocence must be preserved and protected.

"THEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WOULD LIKE TO DRINK YOUR DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE!"

"All right!" I laugh softly, then turn to Sans and Jeff.

"how about a cup of coffee."

"Coffee, baby!"

I find it suspicious that Jeff speaks to me so softly when it's not at all in his habit. I shrug and walk towards the kitchen. I hear Papy and Jeff talking happily behind me. Talking about cars and cylinders. A conversation about cars that easily confuses me.

As I take out the cups, a figure is standing next to me. I turn my head and see Sans, his elbows leaning against the sink cabinet, his hands still in his pockets. With his lazy expression and permanent smile, he looks at me:

"so, kiddo, what have you been up to since the last time?"

I blink, surprised by this question. Nobody ever asks me this question, it's disconcerting but not unpleasant. I put the cups on the sink, avoiding his penetrating lights.

"Well, not much. I've just stayed here, passing the time."

"hm, weren't you busy elsewhere?"

"No. I don't have a job right now and my family is busy during the week." I feel ashamed. "So I've been alone here."

Silence is his only answer. I look up at him and see that he doesn't look very happy.

"according to a certain source, you were too busy to come." His voice is more growling than usual.

"Oh." I already know who the source is. "Well, apart from cleaning and TV zapping, I didn't have much to do."

"didn't you want to come and see us?"

I felt that question as a reproach. I frowned, feeling hurt that he thought I didn't want them.

"No, Sans. Nothing would have made me happier to see you, believe me."

"then why haven't you come?"

_ Why would it matter whether I came or not? _

"I... I wasn't invited." I whisper, nervously fidgeting with my fingers. "I was..."

I want to tell him so badly. To tell him what happened, to relieve myself of this poison that's eating away at me. I take a look at Jeff, but he's too busy in front of the computer with Papy. Then I look at Sans, whose expression shows a certain bitterness.

"you look tired, kid."

That line twists my gut. It has never been so close to the truth. No matter how much I hide my weariness that digs into my face with make-up, there are things that are hard to hide.

"tell me," Sans leans over, his head a few inches away from me. His lights, like diamonds, have never been so fascinating. "how is jeff?"

"W-What?"

"paps loves him very much, he's never been happier. i want to know what to expect."

I squint for a few moments at his beautiful eyes before I sigh faintly and take a half step back. I need to relax, and breathing the same air as Sans will not help relieve my stress.

"H-He can be a good friend, willing to make sacrifices."

Sans frowns, doubting what I'm saying.

"but so far?"

"You know, Sans. I'm not used to saying bad things about my boyfriend, especially behind his back."

He comes close to me, his shadow completely enveloping me. He looks terrifying, with his lights shining in the dark. Yet, strangely enough, no fear emanates from me. Deep inside, I know that he will not hurt me. I don't know why, but I am sure of that.

"so the rest is not good."

His tone is icy. It's a miracle that the other two guests didn't notice our exchange and the unhappy atmosphere.

"come on, kid, i insist."

I nibble my lips. I hope I won't have a problem later.

"H-He's unstable. He may be good, but n-nothing lasts with him."

"Okay." Sans doesn't need more, he has already understood the meaning of all this. "it's okay, kid, you can breathe. heh, sorry for pushing, i'm just a suspicious pile of bones."

I give him a faint smile and then focus on the forgotten cups. I walk away from him and walk towards the fridge, taking the milk and the coffee pot, which is above. I come back and slip the beverage into the cups. All this under the impenetrable gaze of the skeleton. It becomes a bit embarrassing.

Sans sighs loudly, scratching the back of his skull.

"listen, paps wants to invite you to dinner this sunday night. it's his traditional spaghetti dish, his friendship pledge. do you want to come?"

I watch him carefully. His air is full of regret and something else, which I can't quite detect. His concern touches me.

"Sans," I whisper, with a tender smile. "I don't blame you, you know. You acted like a big brother, who wants to protect his family. I understand that."

He is surprised by what I say. He is frozen in place, looking at me intensely. I wink at him before I put my cups in the microwave.

"But next time you give me a surprise test, let me know beforehand. I hadn't studied."

Our laughter breaks up the dark and tense atmosphere. It attracts attention, more or less welcome.

"I see that we get along well there!"

Jeff's voice is far too playful for my taste and I already fear the consequences I will suffer when I'm alone with him.

"yeah. a good laugh among good friends, yanno?"

I don't see Jeff's expression, my eyes are fixed on Sans. He, on the other hand, is focused on my boyfriend. His face is emotionless, just the opposite of what I feel. Did I hear right? Does he really mean what he says?

_ Friends... _

Warmth flows through me, as sweet as honey. It's been a long time since I've felt this. It's so pleasant, so comfortable...

And that gives me courage.

"Sans told me we're invited to a spaghetti party."

I turn to the office. Jeff seems shocked by my calm and serene attitude. Papy, on the other hand, jumps back on his seat:

"THAT'S RIGHT, LITTLE HUMAN! I'M REALLY SORRY I DIDN'T SAY IT EARLIER, I WAS BUSY WITH THE JOYS OF MALE FRIENDSHIP AND MECHANICS!"

He stands up sharply and takes the pose, his hand on his chest, looking proud. His scarf moves with the wind, even though there is no window open to cause that.

"NYEHEHE! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, INVITE YOU TO DINNER AND WILL MAKE MY SPAGHETTI OF FRIENDSHIP! IT'S A BIG STEP IN BUILDING A GREAT AND LASTING RELATIONSHIP!"

His cheerfulness fills me and I cannot refuse such an offer.

"With joy, Papy! I can't wait!" I can't contain my joviality, I'm going to spend more time with them!

"Yeah, that would be nice, Paps!" Jeff's answer is strangely sincere.

Papy's eye sockets shine like Christmas lights .

"WOWIE! I'M SO HAPPY! I'M SO PLEASED TO HAVE MET YOU, MY HUMAN FRIENDS! DO YOU HEAR THAT SANS? THEY SAID YES!"

"happy for you, bro."

In his unbridled joy, Papy hugs Jeff, almost suffocating him. Though a little embarrassed, he responds to his embrace with patting the tall skeleton's back.

I laugh at this surprising show, even if my fellow neighbor doesn't seem to share the same thing. Then I dare something. Courage can give wings.

"I thought of something." I begin, drawing attention to myself. "Knowing that, I also wanted to invite you to the house. How about Saturday night? It would be my pleasure to prepare a meal for you."

It takes them a few seconds to understand my request, and Papy explodes with joy again.

"YEEEEES, LITTLE HUMAN! I'LL BE EVEN HAPPIER TO TASTE YOUR FRIENDSHIP DISHES, AND WE'LL BECOME BEST FRIENDS, THE FOUR OF US !"

"Ah, Paps, I can't breathe..." Jeff's face turns blue.

"AAAH, SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO SUFFOCATE YOU! NOOO, I'M A BAD FRIEND, I ALMOST KILLED MY HUMAN FRIEND!"

Paps' face reflects deep dismay, he looks like a beaten puppy. It hurts my heart, but Jeff comforts him immediately.

"Don't worry. We humans are too fragile. You're a good friend, Paps, don't doubt that."

"I-IS THAT TRUE?"

"Yeah, best I ever met."

Glad, Paps gives him a nice hug again, softer this time. They're laughing like kids.

Sans' face is as frozen as a statue. Fortunately his lights shine slowly, otherwise we would have doubts whether he is a living being or not.

"Say, Sans." His gaze is lifted from his brother and comes to rest on me. 

"Papy likes all kinds of pasta?"

"yeah, why?"

"I want Papy to enjoy what I'm going to do. Plus, I don't have an oven, so that limits my choices."

"you don't have to, kid."

"But I want to make you happy!"

He looks at me for a long time, his diamonds brighter.

"all right. he likes everything, but if you want to score points, have some pasta."

I give him a big smile, I already have an idea of what I'm going to do, but we'll have to do some shopping. There's nothing left to eat in the fridge. I restart the microwave, noticing that the cups have gone cold, when I get an idea.

"By the way," I hesitate for a moment. "Do you eat human food?"

"do you eat monster food?" His reply is immediate.

"I don't know, I've never eaten it."

"oh."

He sighs and leans back against the sink cabinet. He seems to be in conflict with himself, and then answers:

"yes, we can eat human food, even if it doesn't give us the same intake as monster food."

"What do you mean?" I'm baffled by this information.

"your food doesn't have enough magic, it doesn't provide all the things that a monster needs to have."

"It doesn't? So does that mean you're going to starve after my dinner?"

Sans laughs at my dismay. I feel like he has a little sadistic side to him.

"That's not funny, Sans!" I pout, which accentuates his laughter.

"heheh, if you could see your face."

"It's normal for me to make a face like that, it's like you're telling me I'm gonna make tofu for dinner!"

Sans attempts to control his laugh, which only makes it worse. His hand is resting on his teeth, his eye sockets are much wider apart and his bones are cracking under the effort.

"ah, that's it, my bones are breaking. It's the end for me."

"Sans, breathe!"

"tell paps i love him."

"Don't make me give you CPR!"

That's the final blow. He explodes with laughter, all concentration to maintain him has gone up in smoke. This deep laughter vibrates in me, like music. I can't help but laugh with it. Our eyes, shining with gaiety, plunge into each other. It's a moment, just the two of us, where the good mood never fades.

"SANS, YOU'RE ALL BLUE!"

Until Papy breaks our bubble.

"LITTLE HUMAN, YOU'RE ALL RED! IS IT NORMAL TO HAVE SUCH BRIGHT COLORS IN HUMANS?"

"With her, you never know." Looks like Jeff doesn't care. Apparently.

I calm myself gently, wiping tears from the corners of my eyes. Sans does the same, with more difficulty.

"It's going to be okay, Papy. We just had a good laugh, that's all."

"YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN TO BREATHE, YOU TWO! IT'S VERY DANGEROUS THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY, WITHOUT GASPING!"

I giggle but hold myself back by slamming my hand over my mouth, which causes a not very feminine noise. His cheekbones still blue, Sans stares at me intensely with a big mischievous smile.

"i heard this noise."

"A noise? What noise?"

"that noise.you know, the one when you blow your nose in your hand."

"Ah, Sans, you are disgusting!" I gently jostle him on the shoulder, which only makes his smile bigger. "I'm going to the bathroom!"

"what for?"

I look at him suspiciously. Does a skeleton know the joys of relieving himself on a toilet?

"To pee. By dint of laughter, it causes this kind of inconvenience."

I begin to move in the corridor and Sans follows me, to my great surprise.

"What are you doing?" I ask, hastily.

"i am following you."

"Well, why?"

"you never know, if you need something. hold the door or give you some toilet paper."

I can't help but laugh again. It's a good thing my laughter is echoing down the hallway.

_ Ah, what an idiot... _

A large shadow hovers at the door, projecting its darkness on the small skeleton. A Papyrus, discontented, stands there, hands on hips.

"SANS! STOP BOTHERING WOMEN IN THE TOILET, YOU'RE EMBARRASSING ME!"

He grabs Sans by the hood and drags him out of the corridor. I am amazed and worried by this brutality, but I see Sans winking at me, completely at ease being my new mop. I giggle gently and rush to the bathroom. Primary urges don't wait!

After I've done the business, I go to the next bathroom and wash my hands at the sink. I take the opportunity to look at myself in the mirror. My cheeks are red, my eyes shine happily and black tears have stained the corners of my eyes.

And most importantly, I am smiling. My whole face radiates happiness, my chest is light and my eyes are laughing. That makes me feel good. Being with the skeleton brothers is... No, being with Sans brings me much more euphoria than I've had in years.

Friends... What a strange word, but I'm starting to get the meaning.

A knock on the door makes my head spin and the one of my thoughts is there. With his shoulder leaning against the frame, he looks at me lazily.

"Hey, Sans." I blow, turning off the tap.

"hey, kid. i wanted to tell you we're leaving."

Their departure ties my insides.

"Huh?"

"yeah." He didn't look happy, either. "paps got a call from a friend, we gotta go."

"Is it serious?"

"huh? no, it's nothing. it's just a surprise invitation and paps couldn't say no. i'm sorry."

"It's okay, you didn't do anything."

My eyes veil with sadness and I lower my head, looking at the sink attentively.

_ They have to leave one day... _

"hey, kiddo."

I raise my head and sink into his lights that are far too bright, far too big. He had taken a step towards me, without me realizing it. He's right here, right next to me. This closeness makes my heart beat.

"i have a secret to confess to you."

His deep voice is soft and low, making itself discreet to unwelcome ears. My cheeks are on fire, I'm ready to believe any of his words.

"monsters are composed only of magic."

"H-Huh?"

I don't understand his words, the meaning of such a secret. It must be said that my intellect disappeared as soon as he entered this room.

"I don't understand, Sans." I blow, like a whisper. His eyes stare at my lips for a brief second before returning to my gaze.

"there's no need to understand. it's a secret between the two of us."

I feel his warm breath caressing my face. Can a skeleton breathe? It doesn't matter, this is really not the time to ask questions about monster biology!

"Okay, between the two of us."

"just the two of us."

The way he told me, a shiver runs down my spine. I don't know if it's normal to have such a reaction. I nod my head and his smile gets bigger.

"Sans!" Jeff's voice echoes in the studio. "Your brother is waiting for you downstairs and he doesn't look happy!"

Sans moves slowly away from me. He winks at me.

"see you Saturday, kiddo. paps' giving you warm hugs and all, and can't wait for dinner."

Then he leaves the room, as if nothing had happened. I catch my breath, mentally slamming myself to be so responsive to him. But God, he can sweet talk well and I had such a good time.

After a few moments to compose myself again, I finally leave the bathroom and only Jeff is left at the front door, looking strangely at Sans who is coming down the stairs. Then he turns to me, his eyes blazing.

"Did he want something from you?"

"No, he just said goodbye and that Papy can't wait until Saturday."

The mention of Papy calms him down a bit. He clicks his tongue, his gaze directed towards the stairs of the main corridor.

"Yeah, he's weird. I think he's too close to you."

His remark makes me nauseous.

"We're just friends, baby."

He chuckles, his laugh resonates into something vicious.

"You, having friends? It's gonna rain shit tonight!"

I close my mouth, swallowing the bile down my throat. Welcome to my daily life, where the sharpness of words is usual.

"Okay, I'm gonna go." He goes on as if everything is normal for him. "I'm going to spend the evening at a friend's house, he needs me for his car."

"When will you be back?" I ask but I already know the answer.

"I don't know." He shrugs his shoulders. "End of the evening I think. See you tonight, I love you!"

He leaves, closing the door behind him. Silence fills the room. With a slow step, I walk to the microwave and take out the four cups. With a dark look, I throw the drinks into the sink.

_ Am I really so unworthy to have friends? _


	4. A Ketchup Love

I peacefully push my shopping cart full of food, while checking my list to see if I've forgotten anything. There are only a few people in the store at this hour in the morning and I'm happy to do my shopping in a quiet environment.

I stop for a few moments in front of the exotic products section and frown. I am looking for food for my friends the skeleton brothers. Dinner at home will be for tomorrow and I'm thrilled about it, even if I'm a little apprehensive. I hope everything goes well and that they will like my food. It won't be a fancy dish, we aren't rolling in gold, quite the contrary, but it will be good food and I will put all my love into it.

I had done some research on the net the day before about the eating habits of the monsters. I found almost nothing. There are suppositions or rumors but nothing true or well-founded. The monsters are very secretive and haven't revealed anything about them, either their culture or their biology. Nothing. I am beginning to wonder what Sans yesterday would say to me would not be like a bomb if it were to be revealed. I don't understand why he told me such a thing about the anatomy of monsters, about the fact that they are made of nothing but magic.

Anyway, I'll think about it later. I'm very doubtful, especially after what Sans said about their food needs. I could put all the good grease and sugar in it and make a dentist's eye twitch, but they won't keep anything in them. I think my hearty dish will feel like a small glass of water and they will still be hungry after that, which I find very upsetting.

On the internet, I saw that the sign of this hypermarket offers products made of magic, a substitute that would fill the defect of human dishes. Even though this store is exclusively for human food, the managers made an effort to attract a monster clientele and a few curious people in passing.

I go to the foreign product aisle and look at each display, crossing my fingers to find my desired product. After a few seconds, I find the holy grail and practically throw myself on the bag. It's a bag of flakes of the Muffet&Cie brand, composed of 99% magic, without taste or smell, which melt on food to give a daily intake to the monsters. The packaging is quite selling, with the electric purple background and the flakes that turn into stars. The problem comes from the price, 20 pounds for a small packet. I am astonished by such an injustice: there is no limit to the priceless.

I sigh strongly and put it in the shopping cart, hoping that they will have enough of a bag. Then I go to the alcohol department. Even if I don't know if they drink, a few bottles won't hurt. After all, this will be our first meal together, we have to celebrate. Not knowing their tastes, I take three different bottles of wine.

Jeff's unhappy face fills my imagination, criticizing me for spending so much on the drink. It will be a small justice for taking my credit card for his car pieces. And gas. And also cigarettes. Nearly a third of my budget went up in smoke in an hour and I couldn't say anything at all, because, for him, a couple should always help each other. It's weird, I can't remember the last time he helped me.

After a final check, I go to the cash registers.

*-*-*-*

The truck of my little Fiat 500 well charged, I quit the periphery and go back to town. It's a strange contrast. The surroundings of the city are made up of humans and seeing so many living beings of my kind always surprises me. I am no longer used to it. In the hypermarket, I didn't come across any monsters and here I am in the city where they are everywhere. In cars, on sidewalks, on café terraces. Here and there, a few humans contrast with the scenery, but they are greatly outnumbered.

It makes me smile. I prefer the city more, especially near the center. It's more soothing, more serene. The monsters have well developed the city and its urbanism, giving it a new, more modern, and colorful face. I am happy that they are among us.

I finally see my building, which is quite a stain on the recently renovated street, but I like it. Its ruined appearance makes its charm. I park on the sidewalk, just behind the most beautiful red sports car I've seen. I turn off the engine, get out, and admire it for a moment. My poor little gray car really doesn't belong next to such a beauty. I wonder who it belongs to, especially since it is parked in front of my building.

I shrug my shoulders, walk to my trunk, and open it: the groceries are not going to discharge themselves. I take the lightest of bags and hobble to the double dull solid wood front door, cursing myself for my insect-like strength. I notice Jeff's big black Chevrolet Corsa Classic looking like it's tuning, parked in two places. I'm surprised, it's rare that he comes home so early.

I enter by pushing the door with my elbow, which never closes. A long squeaking sound in the corridor. There is no privacy when you want to sneak in and meet no one. Unfortunately, this noise has already warned the neighbors of my arrival.

I pass two apartment doors. One has been empty for a long time but the other is occupied by a young couple. I don't come across them often, and I prefer to keep it that way. When I leave the building, I often hear them arguing through their closed door. The man is a discreet person who smokes a lot in front of the building to escape his girlfriend. I have already exchanged a few words with him, he is quite jovial and his voice timbre is soft, almost faded. It's pleasant to talk with him.

However, his girlfriend is another story. The little I have exchanged is enough for me. Everything that comes out of her mouth is nothing but complaints and slander about everything and everyone, even her boyfriend. It embarrassed me, I preferred to move away, even though she is the only woman who lives in the building.

Speaking of the wolf, I see the door of apartment two open and thickly camouflaged eyes staring at me. I lower my head and scan the dirty mosaic tiles as I walk down the stairs. Her gaze burns me, piercing an imaginary hole in the back of my head. Courage, let's run away!

I climb the stairs, already cursing the two floors to climb to reach my home. On top of that, I will have to go back and forth to get everything and the other bags weigh much more than the one I have.

I reach the first level and allow myself to take a micro-pause to catch my breath. I really need to get into sports! I've been saying this for five years, but maybe I'll have to do it one day!

As soon as I put the bag down, the door of apartment three opens, revealing a man in his fifties, looking scruffy. The gray tone, the puffy dark circles, he sways and then catches up with the frame.

"Aaah, it's you..." His voice is stony as if he's just woken up.

"Hello."

I try to be polite, even though I've never been comfortable with him. He can be unpredictable, considering how our first meeting with Jeff went. When you see an older, drunk man hitting his sixteen-year-old girlfriend in the hallway, it marks you. Even Jeff avoids him, who is so open to meeting people.

"Hi, my favorite neighbor !" I frown at his joking tone. "I thought it was the others coming back, I'm glad it's you."

"Oh?" All I want to do is to leave.

"Yeah. I ran into some weird guys earlier! I thought it was death coming to get me! But I swear I didn't smoke this morning, darling."

I looked at him attentively, analyzing what he had just said. Don't tell me that...

"I was scared to death of my life! My heart had a hard time recovering from the shock! Or maybe it's the beginning of a heart attack..."

"Where did they go?"

"They're at your place, my cutie. Your boyfriend should be careful who he hangs out with. One day he'll run into a creep and get screwed."

I don't pay any attention to what he says, I take my bag and go up the stairs four at a time, too excited to see death in front of me.

"All right, thank you!" I cry out before I reach my landing.

I open the door of apartment six and the first person I see is Sans, sitting comfortably on the sofa in front of the TV. He already had his eyes on me, waiting for me. My heart beats wildly in front of his half-closed eye sockets.

"Sans!"

"heya, kiddo."

I walk home with difficulty, smiling up to my ears. How happy I am to see him!

"LITTLE HUMAN, YOU'RE HOME!"

Papy's cheerful voice comes from the office and a pretty skull jumps out of the door. I laugh, noticing that he is nearly as big as the door.

"Yes, but I'm leaving." I answer, putting the bag near the sofa.

" WHY?"

"Yeah, Papy, I've got the groceries to take out."

"THEN I'LL COME AND HELP YOU!"

He stands in front of me with his hands on his hips, a "NYEHEHE" slipping out of his teeth. I'm surprised by his request, I don't want to take advantage of his kindness.

"No, Papy, it's okay. I'm used to it, you know."

"THERE'S NO WAY I'M GOING TO LET A TINY FRIEND CARRY SUCH BIG BAGS! I'M GOING TO HELP YOU WITH MY STRENGTH!"

I laugh at his seriousness and his warm words melt my heart.

"Okay, Papy!" I answer, in a light tone. "Come to save me from these so heavy bags for my poor little arms!"

Sans chuckles and Papy is overexcited by this new mission. He dashes out of the apartment, avoids me with a grace worthy of a star dancer and runs down the stairs with his usual "NYEHEHEHEEEE".

I laugh again at his childish and refreshing demeanor.I also begin to walk down a few steps when I hear the cold voice of Sans:

"aren't you helping your woman?"

This support makes me happy. My chest is warm and I can't stop chewing my lip to stifle this happiness that envelops me. I can't hear Jeff's babbling, he's still in front of the computer, I'm already downstairs looking for Papy.

He's outside, his flat hand above his eye sockets, trying to sharpen his gaze to find something in particular that I don't understand. I'm standing next to him, confused.

"What are you doing, Papy?"

"I'M..." He abandons his position, all sheepish. "I DON'T KNOW YOUR CAR AND THERE ARE SO MANY!"

_ Oh, my little cinnamon roll… _

I raise my hand and gently caress his forearm. This gesture is brief, but I wanted to comfort him in one way or another. Papy blinks, surprised by my affection, but his embarrassment has already disappeared to be replaced by his usual cheerfulness.

"Don't be down, no one would have found it without a clue."

"YES, IT'S TRUE! NOT EVEN THE GREAT PAPYRUS, NYHEHEHE!" His good mood is contagious. "YOU'RE SO SWEET, LITTLE HUMAN. TO HUG AND CUDDLE AND SAY SWEET WORDS, IT'S NOT USUAL FOR HUMANS TO DO THIS KIND OF THING."

I frown, suddenly feeling hurt by these words. There's a hint of melancholy when he talks about humans and I have to do everything I can to make him not feel that pain anymore.

" Papy... " I begin, in a reassuring voice. "Not all humans are like that. Some are more... friendly than others. They just don't show it."

"AND WHY IS THAT? THE WORLD WOULD BE A MUCH BETTER PLACE IF THEY WERE WARMER TO EACH OTHER!"

"Because they are hurt by those who are colder. It hurts, very hurts, so they close in on themselves and you can't feel their natural warmth anymore."

"OH... HAVE YOU EVER BEEN HURT, LITTLE HUMAN?"

I don't answer right away. This sentence plunges me into grey memories, bitter and sharp feelings. A flood of images crosses my mind and I force myself to put an end to them in order to concentrate on Papy.

"Yes." I breathe in a flat tone, my eyes veiled.

Papy is worried about my answer. He gropes his gloves for a few seconds and then takes my hand sharply. I shudder at his sudden touch but I don't have time to think about it any longer, he drags me tens of meters with firm gentleness and stops in front of the beautiful red car from earlier.

"I'M SORRY THAT PEOPLE HURT YOU! I, THE BIG PAPYRUS, WILL GIVE YOU THE BIGGEST WARM HUGS OF FRIENDSHIP AND I WILL TAKE YOU FAR AWAY WITH MY CAR, WHERE PEOPLE WON'T BE ABLE TO HURT YOU ANYMORE! MAYBE TO THE BLUE AND SUNNY BEACH! EVERYBODY HAS A SMILE AFTER A DAY AT THE SEA, NYHEHEHE!"

I don't know what to say. I'm not allowed in front of the car, which I now know belongs to Papy, my hand still wrapped in his glove. His warmth wraps my limb, Papy's kindness runs through my being and he heals a crack in my soul.

I raise my tearful gaze to him, who is patiently waiting for a word from me, his smile always there. I tighten my fingers in his embrace, a radiant air fills my face.

_ He is the purest being I have ever met... _

"Yes, Papy!" My voice is full of little sobs, which I swallow hard. "I'll be happy to go to the beach with you and have a wonderful time with my friend!"

"NYEHHEH!" Her cheekbones are veiled in a soft orange color. "I HOPE THERE WON'T BE JUST ONE MOMENT!"

"No, there'll be plenty!"

We laugh loudly, our hands still tied, and I take the opportunity to point to my car. At this moment, I think that this friendship will be the most beautiful gift, that Papy will be the friend I dreamed of and that he will bring me that spark that I miss in this life.

I will know much later that I was wrong...

*-*-*-*

We climb the steps with haste. I only carry a milk pack in my arms while Papy holds all the bags with such ease that I wonder if monsters have a greater physical faculty than humans. When we meet Jeff just before the last level, he asks us if there are any groceries left to pick up. Papy answers no, so he comes home empty-handed, under the critical eye of Sans who hasn't moved an inch from the couch.

We enter the apartment and put all the groceries in the kitchen. Jeff closes the door behind us, and that's all he does all day. I notice that my first bag is waiting patiently by the fridge. I smile at this gesture and start unpacking.

"I'LL HELP TIDY UP, MY HUMAN FRIEND!"

"Thanks, Papy, but I prefer to do it alone. You know, I have my habits..." I grope my fingers, a shy smile on my lips. "I'll hurry up and then I'll make your chocolate to thank you."

"NYEHEHE, YOU'RE WELCOME, IT'S A PLEASURE TO HELP A WOMAN IN NEED! AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO HAVE A CHOCOLATE AND I PROMISE THAT THIS TIME I'LL DRINK IT WITH JOY!"

He also gropes his gloves, a sorry look wins his head. It's true that last time they left in a hurry and all the drink ended up in the sink. I don't make any remark about what happened and I reassure him:

"All right. In that case, I'll put all my love into this chocolate to make it even better!"

Papy is happy to hear that, his beautiful singular laugh resounds throughout the room.

"I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO IT!"

Then he leaves the kitchen to join Jeff, glued to the office chair. A tender look can be read on his face as he approaches the large skeleton. He taps the chair next to him and Papy accepts the invitation. They share a moment, just the two of them.

I continue unpacking and put the food in the microwave cabinet. It doesn't take long for a visitor to come and keep me company.

"i hope that you will put a lot of love in my coffee, too, kiddo."

I look up from one of my bags and see Sans, who's in the same place as last time, his elbows resting on the sink cabinet and his hands wrapped in his pockets. I laugh at his relaxed look.

"Of course, Sans, I'll even make more effort in yours."

"heh, that's nice to hear. i see you're getting along with paps, you took your time downstairs."

"Yes." I'm concentrating on my packing. "We had a good talk and I think I'm getting closer to him as a friend."

"heh, i'm going to end up getting jealous."

I look at him attentively, puzzled by his sentence. His peaceful air is still there but his lights are strangely shining. Can he really feel this kind of feeling towards his little brother, that big cinnamon roll? And above all, why?

"Could you be jealous of your own brother?"

"......... no, of course not. relax, i was just kidding."

I didn't feel any humor in what he said, but maybe I'm just tired. He can be hard to read sometimes. I shrug my shoulders, dropping the subject.

"Look, Sans!"

I attract his attention, even though I think I didn't need to attract it any more since he keeps staring at me. I take out the three bottles of wine and put them on the counter, proud of myself. He chuckles in front of it.

"drunker."

"Hey!" I laugh at his remark. "I didn't know your tastes so I took all three! That way, I'm sure everyone will be happy! But uh... do you even drink?"

"paps, no, but i think he'll try to mark the occasion. i was drinking."

I notice immediately the past tense of that sentence. I feel uncomfortable all of a sudden, I feel like I made a mistake.

"Was drinking?"

"yeah, was drinking." It doesn't seem to bother him more than that.

"Uh... is there a problem with alcohol?"

His smile widens and he winks at me.

"for me, no. i'd love to have a drink with you."

"Are you sure?"

"yeah."

This unsettling feeling doesn't leave me. This feeling, of having done something wrong, doesn't go away in front of these reassuring words. I nibble my lip, plunging into my thoughts.

"hey, you should stop worrying about everything and everyone. i'm a big boy, even if it isn't obvious at first glance."

I can't help but laugh at his comment.

"It's true you're so small, I can't help but pamper you."

"you're hurting a guy's pride, kiddo."

"It's maternal instinct speaking for me!"

"you're not much taller than me. i'm sure if i tiptoe, i surpass you."

"Wait, I'll help you, I'll carry you!"

"heheh, go ahead, carry me mom."

We giggle, not letting our eyes wander. Sans has the most beautiful laugh of the world, I do not get tired of hearing it.

"hey, thank you." He says, once his cheerfulness calms down.

"Of what?"

"for many things. for the drinks, for that too."

He walks quietly to the microwave cabinet, searches without the slightest embarrassment and takes out the bag of magic flakes.

"you didn't have to do that, kid. i know how much those little things cost."

"I didn't want to make a mistake. I wanted you to be satiated, just like us."

He says nothing, his lights sparkle like diamonds in my direction. He stands still for a moment.

"heh." He puts the bag back where it was. "you know, a human dinner isn't enough to alter the health of a monster. It would take several days without magic for there to be any deterioration."

I look at him, astonished, taking in this new information. Sans stares at me with his joyful eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"you didn't ask me." He simply answers, shrugging his shoulders.

I sigh deeply, trying to calm my frustration. Anyway, I wouldn't have changed my mind, even though I knew monsters could skip a meal, without incident.

"Never mind, I would have taken it anyway."

“...”

I go to the fridge to store my cool groceries, under the inquisitive gaze of the skeleton. I begin to organize again when he breaks the silence:

"i see that you kept the secret."

At the time, I wonder what secret he is talking about, then I remember our tense exchange in the bathroom the other day. I blush slightly.

"You trusted me enough to share it with me." I tell him in a soft tone, looking at him tenderly. "I don't see why I would ever talk about this to anyone around me."

".......not even to your boyfriend?"

His question came out, like a breath. His eyes scanned me attentively as if he was expecting something from me.

"It's a secret between us."

My answer is like a deliverance. His smile, too rigid, relaxes and a sigh, too long contained, slips between his teeth. He is reassured, soothed.

Trusting.

"heh, you passed the test successfully." He winks at me.

"Why, did you have doubts about me?" I ask, in a light tone.

His lack of response is an answer in itself. A small pain lingers in my chest, like a needle. He didn't trust me... I don't blame him, we hardly know each other.

"it has nothing to do with you." He begins, hesitant. "it's just... humans can't be trusted."

His tone is dark, synonymous with a distant fury. He doesn't hold humans in high esteem and I can only agree with him.

"I know." That's all I say before I dive back into my closet.

Silence reigns in the kitchen, where only the sound of plasticized rubbing and the echoes of a conversation in the office can penetrate this room. I feel calm now, focused on my work, under the kindly gaze of my friend. This calm is broken when I take out an article, which takes up a lot of Sans' attention.

"oh."

His face is struck with wonder, his lights shine with admiration for the batch of ketchup I hold in my hands. Intrigued, I slowly move the batch to my right and his gaze follows the movement, fascinated. Then, I move it to my left, nothing can unhook his marbles from my ketchup. I feel amused by his behavior.

"you..." He begins, confused. "do you like ketchup?"

"Yes, I love it, especially this brand! It's my favorite."

"yeah, me too. i haven't seen one in a long time."

"Why is that?"

"paps doesn't buy it any more. he says i need to lower my dosage, i'm too addicted."

It pains me that Papy doesn't buy his brother's favorite things anymore, because he likes them too much. I don't think that's fair. With a smile, I close the fridge and walk over to Sans and hand him the lot.

"Here, this is for you."

"h-huh?" He is surprised, his eyes finally tear out of the ketchup to look at me. "no, kid, it's yours."

He seems conflicted. I shake my head, the ketchup still reaching out to him.

"No, I'm giving it to you. I have another one. Take it, it makes me happy."

He stares at me for a long time, I feel like Santa Claus to him. With the biggest smile I've ever seen, he gently takes the lot from me, his hands shaking.

"humans like you are rare. you're too kind."

"You're welcome." I shrug my shoulders, my good mood accentuated in front of his amazed expression.

"yeah, heh, thank you."

He opens the lot, like gift wrap, and out comes a bottle of ketchup. He unscrews the cork, then does something I didn't expect: he puts the bottle to his teeth and drinks it as if it was baby milk. It's the first time in my life that I've seen something like that! After a few swallows, he finally stops, making a satisfied sigh.

"You look like you're over the moon." I tease him with his satisfied look.

"yeah, i'm in heaven." His voice timbre rolls in a very pleasant way.

"Is it that good? I mean, plain as nature without anything?"

"you want to try it?"

I nod my head and dip my finger in the bottle held out by Sans. Soaked in ketchup, I bring it to my mouth and make a sucking noise, analyzing the flavor that invades my taste buds. I don't notice the incredulous look of the little skeleton, which is riveted on my finger between my lips.

"Yep." I finally release my finger. "It's good, but I prefer it when it's accompanied."

"a-ah yeah?" His eyes turn away, a blue powder appears on his cheekbones.

"Yeah! You know, in pasta, French fries, sausages."

"sausages."

I frown, wondering what's wrong with him. Sans rubs his face with his hand, trying to calm his blush. He doesn't have much time to compose himself when Papy's voice explodes:

"SANS! WHAT'S IN YOUR HANDS? IT'S NOT KETCHUP, I HOPE?"

Sans jumps and hugs the lot in his arms, as if to protect it from possible intruders, who want to steal its prize. Looks like he's about to hug it to defend it. I don't know if I should laugh or cry about it. I turn to Papy, who is still sitting next to Jeff. He looks unhappy. I can't help but protect my little skeleton in need.

" Papy, it's a gift I gave him. A pledge of friendship."

Papy's eye sockets squint, ogling us without discretion. Jeff admires the scene, without saying a word. The large skeleton seems to be in full reflection, torn between the value of a gift of friendship and his duty as a brother.

"WELL... IF IT'S A TOKEN OF FRIENDSHIP, I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT! BUT LITTLE HUMAN, NEXT TIME, YOU'LL HAVE TO FIND A MORE APPROPRIATE GIFT FOR MY BROTHER!"

I shake my head, ignoring Sans' little remark:

"this gift is the most appropriate."

I slightly pull the sleeve of his sweater, winking at him:

"Don't worry, Sans. At least no one will be able to steal your precious."

He giggles, looking at me like I'm a shining star.


	5. Noticeable hostility

I can't contain my excitement. In a few minutes, the brothers will come home and we will spend a wonderful evening together. It will be the first time we will share a dinner and I pray that everything goes well. Once again, I swallow my anxiety ball and check the time on my watch. They will be here soon!

"Babe, stop looking at your watch every minute, the time won't go any faster."

Jeff has just come out of the bathroom and is next to me in the kitchen. A smell of cologne comes from him, spreads throughout the room. Gel hair still wet shines on his hair and he has shaved neatly. It seems he's getting ready for this evening.

"I know, but I'm nervous." I bite my lip.

"Yeah, me too. It's gonna be fine, don't worry."

With his finger, he gently strokes my cheek and gives me a reassuring smile. His rare gesture soothes me, fills me with a semblance of happiness. But as quickly as it appears, his affection disappears and he leaves me, returning to the sofa.

I sigh lightly and then concentrate on cooking my pasta. I already miss his tenderness. I feel like a being lost in a desert, drinking every drop of water that an oasis has to offer. This feeling makes me uneasy, uncomfortable and dependent on the slightest sign of kindness.

The loud knocks from the door takes me out of my dark thoughts. I turn sharply and see Jeff running to the door. Opening it wide and leaving room for our guests. Papy always has this radiant smile, his arms wide open to welcome all the hugs he can get. Sans is hidden behind his brother's tall stature.

"GOOD EVENING, MY HUMAN FRIENDS!"

And Jeff dives into the skeleton's arms, giving him a big hug. The oasis is flowing for the chosen one of his attention. I smile sadly. At least there is one who knows his warmth without any restraint.

"YOU SMELL GOOD! WHAT IS IT?"

"Ah, it's cologne!" Jeff backs away from the hug out from him. "Do you like it?"

"OH YES, IT WAKES UP MY NONEXISTENT NOSE!"

"yeah, it smells like compost."

"YOU'RE RIGHT, SANS! IT SMELLS LIKE A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS!”

"heh, a very vegetable smell."

"Uuh... thank you."

I chuckle at the stunned look on Jeff's face and Papy's innocence. I think there's someone who didn't quite understand the underlying words of Sans. I should be sad that he pointed out that my boyfriend smells like garbage, but strangely enough I feel nothing but joy at his humor.

My laughter attracts his attention, his eyelights wavering with his gaze. His smile is much more genuine.

"now here is the most pleasant one to smell."

_.... Did I hear that right? _

I'm blushing. I know he's laughing behind his words but that doesn't stop my heart from racing to his compliment.

" SANS! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO STOP FLIRTING WITH OUR FRIEND'S GIRLFRIEND?"

"oh, paps i'm not flirting. i'm saying hi to a friend."

"YEAH, BUT YOU'RE MAKING HER UNCOMFORTABLE! LOOK, SHE'S ALL RED!"

"it's a color that suits her."

"SANS!"

Papy gets mad at his brother, explaining to him the ins and outs of being a good guest and a respectable friend. Sans looks at him as if he was explaining the weather and Jeff still has his hand at the door, his face frozen.

After the Papyrus-like lecture, Sans walks over to the couch. He winks at me, just before wallowing on it, his elbow on the armrest to his left.

"I'M SORRY, HUMAN FRIEND!" Papy seems sheepish, in front of Jeff. "MY BROTHER IS A RESPECTABLE MONSTER! HE WON'T DO ANYTHING TO YOUR GIRLFRIEND, IT'S JUST HIS JOKES THAT ARE DUBIOUS!"

"Oh, it's all right, Paps." He closes the door behind them, then tries to humor them. "As long as he doesn't put his hands on her, it's okay!"

"so if i put something else down, it's okay?"

"SAAAAAANS! FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, SHUT UP!!!!”

"heh, okay boss."

With his hand supporting his skull, his attention turns to the TV, where a reality show is taking place. Jeff looks at him hard for a second, then his eyes settle on Papy. He tries to smile but it comes out like a grimace.

"Ha, Sans and his sense of humor."

"U-UUH YES!" Sweat appears on his skull, to my astonishment. "I'M GOING TO SAY HELLO TO YOUR GIRLFRIEND!"

Papy runs towards me, as if I was his salvation to get out of this awkward atmosphere. I welcome him by stretching out my arms and this brave skeleton huddles up against me. I gently caress the back of his armor, he lets out a small sigh.

"Oh, my poor Papy, alone to settle the disagreements between friends." I joke, in a light tone.

"I'M REALLY SORRY!" He releases me slowly. "IT PUTS A BAD ATMOSPHERE IN THE HOUSE!"

"Don't worry, there's nothing wrong. His humor is always welcome in my house."

"DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM, LITTLE HUMAN!"

I laugh in front of his indignant air. I hear a little giggle coming from the couch, but Sans hasn’t taken his eyes off the TV. Jeff sits in the chair that is in front of him and tries to make conversation. It has as much effect as talking to a wall.

Papy sniffs the air around him, looking for the source of that tasty smell.

"HOW GOOD IT SMELLS! IS THAT DINNER THAT I SMELL?"

He leaps to the electric stove, where a pot cooks on low heat. He sniffs again just above the red lid.

"THAT SMELLS YUMMY!"

"It is, but don't touch it, it's a surprise."

"OH? CAN'T I GET A CLUE?"

His puppy-dog eyes are creating a loophole in my resolution. I lean slightly towards him, a mischievous smile on my lips.

"It's pasta." I whisper, as if I'm revealing a terrible secret.

"GASP! IS IT TRUE?"

"Of course, Papy!" I laugh. "A meal just to please you!"

"DOUBLE GASP!"

His eyes shine like a starry sky, with a happy look on his face. He takes me in his arms again and hugs me tightly, making me sound like a mouse.

"YOU'RE THE BEST HUMAN I'VE EVER MET! A PASTA DISH IN MY HONOR?" He separates from me, taking me firmly by the shoulders. "YOUR CHARM GOES STRAIGHT TO MY SOUL, MY FRIEND!"

We share a wonderful smile. I am so happy that he likes it. Sans was right to give me this advice. I will have to thank him later. I gently caress the forearm of my large skeleton with a tender look.

"It's almost ready, Papy. You can settle in, if you want."

"WITH PLEASURE! NYHEHEHE!"

He releases me, then rushes into the living room, jumps over the couch and sits in the middle. He is immediately captivated by the show. I notice his brother's eyes fixed on me. Jeff had given up talking and is on his phone now. I don't know how long Sans had been watching the scene. Maybe right after my boyfriend dropped the act?

His diamonds shine brighter when he notices I'm watching him. He doesn't do anything, doesn't say anything. Only his eyes speak for him and I don't understand his language. I just feel a little important under his lights. That I matter to someone and being the object of his attention warms me up.

_ I'm not used to it... but I like that feeling. It feels good... _

I wink at him, he replies in the same way, his white pearls growing bigger with my action. He has completely given up on the TV, Jeff and Papy also swallow me up with their eyes. My legs feel paralyzed and it's hard for me to turn away, to continue serving my guests.

My heart beats a hundred miles an hour when I grab the bottle of white wine from the cabinet, I take several deep breaths to calm my cherry red cheeks. Just one look and I feel exposed. Is it normal to react like that?

Taking my courage, I move towards them.

"hey, little poppy, finally decided to come?"

I squint at Sans, my redness accentuated by one level. He seems amused by my embarrassment. Little rascal, a little revenge is called for.

"I just came to offer wine, little blueberry."

His cheekbones take on a soft shade of blue. He giggles softly, a tender look on his face. I smile, a little proud to have provoked this reaction.

_ Well, stop rambling and take care of your guests! _

"I brought you some white wine to start the meal. If you don't like it, there's rosé or red wine."

The skeleton brothers are watching me while I open the bottle. I'm glad I unscrewed the cork earlier.

"Papy, you want to try it?"

"WELL, USUALLY I NEVER DRINK ALCOHOL. BUT SINCE YOU WANTED TO PLEASE ME, I'LL GIVE IT A TRY!"

I'm relieved. I'd be very embarrassed if he refuses, even if there's still some water left to make up for it. With a smile, I pour the wine into the glass. That is on the coffee table which I had time to set up earlier, in front of him.

"JUST A LITTLE, PLEASE!"

I nod my head and stop at a fingertip. I don't want to find my cinnamon roll on the floor, even though it would be fun. He thanks me and stares at his glass like it's a scary thing. I laugh softly and then look at Sans.

"go ahead, kid. you don't have to worry about me."

"All right, then. You tell me to stop when it's enough."

I pour the drink into his glass. The level rises gradually, I expect a faint "stop" to come when I'm more than halfway there. However, there is nothing. I take a look at Sans, he shows a mischievous smile. I continue and then stop sharply at the edge of the glass. One more drop and it would be all over the tablecloth.

"Sans, you didn't tell me anything!" I exclaim, a false frustration in my voice.

"heh, i wanted to know if you were going to stop one day."

"Just a little bit more, and it was going to spill all over onto the table!"

"don't worry, one more lick and it won't seem like it anymore." He gives me a nice wink.

_ Tongue? Whose tongue? His? What?? _

"SANS, YOU'RE DISGUSTING!" Papy came out of his second state. But then he notices his brother's over-full glass and frowns, a worried look on his face. "SANS... I'M NOT SURE THAT..."

Sans interrupts him in a relaxed voice.

"it's all right, paps." He slowly takes the glass and, miraculously, doesn't spill a drop. "We're celebrating something, everything's fine."

"Are you allergic?" I'm asking, really worried about the subject of alcohol. Yesterday he told me he was drinking and now Papy is not in his normal state when he sees that glass too full. A big doubt is settling in me.

"no, i'm not." He takes a big sip, savors it for a short while and then puts the glass back. He gives me a reassuring smile. "paps always worries for nothing. Right, bro?"

"YES! THAT'S RIGHT, BROTHER!" His voice is a bit too high-pitched than normal. I didn't know that was possible.

"there you go, that says it all.” Sans says as he looks to Papy. “oh, yeah, this is not bad either. you've got good taste."

"Thank you, Sans, that's nice of you to say."

I give him a small smile, trying to put aside this doubt that's eating away at me. I feel like they're hiding something from me, but I have no right to force them to confide in me. Everyone has secrets.

I notice that Papy takes a tiny sip and then puts the glass back down. Various grimaces come over his face, more and more hilarious. I try not to laugh. But Jeff who has finally gotten off the phone, and Sans giggle when they see this show. After this bad experience, Papy remains polite.

"IT'S... IT'S A PRETTY UNIQUE TASTE!"

"If you don't like it, that’s okay. There's water if you would like." He tried it, so no need to force him to drink the rest.

"I WILL, THANK YOU LITTLE HUMAN!"

"No, thank you! For giving it a taste." I give him a smile and rush into the kitchen. After getting a bottle of water I come back out and put it on the coffee table.

I finally turn to Jeff and get ready to serve him when he says.

"Honey, you know I don't like wine. Because of my mother."

I freeze on the spot, looking into his eyes, full of reminiscence. How could I forget? Jeff hates wine, reminding him of bad childhood memories. When his mother collapsed on either a table or on the floor. With empty wine bottles surrounding her. I forgot...

_ I forgot... _

"I... I'm sorry, I-I forgot..."

"I can see that."

I gently press the bottle against me, hoping to camouflage the shaking of my hands. I'm afraid he'll get angry. 

No, he will get angry at any moment.

I can see him slowly getting up. I can already see the flashes of his fury, the painful words.

But instead, he gives me a sweet smile.

"Hey, don't make that face. Everybody makes mistakes."

_ Except for me. _

I don't have the right to make mistakes. I have to do everything perfectly. Both Act and talk to him. But the slightest flaw, the slightest failure. I just suffer again and again. I am nothing, just a nobody. I’m not even capable of thinking about his well-being.

"And there it is!"

Jeff puts down a bottle of whisky, which was well stored in his reserve. I didn't even notice he was gone. I was too immersed in this tar of self-inflicted guilt and shame.

He doesn't tell me anything, but I know he's mad at me. I know it, even with his kind smile and his far too sweet words.

My shaking hands betrays my dismay, even as I press the bottle more against myself.

"hey, kiddo. are you okay?"

I look at Sans. His lights are so small, so dull. He has a worried expression on his face. It doesn't suit him, he looks much better with his diamonds and his radiant smile.

_ He's going to think I'm crazy, reacting like this... _

"Yes." I answer quickly, with my head down. "I'll get the pasta."

It's a miracle I didn't stutter. I quickly put the bottle on the table and rush into the kitchen. When I'm near the stove, I can hear Jeff say cheerfully.

"That's usual with her, don't worry!"

"HM, EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN PERSONALITY! THAT'S WHAT MAKES EVERYONE SO CHARMING!"

I bite my lip when I turn off the stove. I take deep breaths, praying I don't have a breakdown in front of them! Papy is great, he doesn't see evil anywhere.

Sans hasn't said a word.

Miraculously, I manage to swallow my anguish and hide it deep inside me. The consequences will come later, in this moment it is the well-being of my friends that counts.

I come out from the kitchen with my cooking pot and put it heavily on a potholder.

"And here it is, the long-awaited dish!" I say as I try to put a cheerful voice. I hope I fool everyone.

Papy is very happy, stars are shining in his eye sockets. His joy infects a little on me. Jeff is like his usual and Sans is unreadable.

I finally settle down on the couch, to the right of Papy. We are a little tight but at least I have an armrest.

I lift the cover, steam of smoke comes out of it, sending out a tempting smell.

"I made some pasta carbonara." I say, timidly. "A recipe from my Mom, I hope you like it."

The brothers bend over slightly, Papy can't help but sniff again. His smile gets bigger and he hands me his plate impatiently.

"I CAN'T WAIT TO TASTE YOUR PASTA OF FRIENDSHIP, LITTLE HUMAN!"

I laugh softly at his childish look. I serve him and his silent brother. I signal to them that there is a bag of magic flakes on the table, if they want to put some on. Papy leaps for joy and thanks me. He opens the bag with ease, pours the flakes over the pasta, then does the same for Sans. The translucent flakes melt onto the hot starchy food and there is nothing to suggest that they have just added magic to this food. The pouch is no longer of this world.

I serve Jeff, then finally me. I notice that my glass is filled with wine. I smile, giving my thanks in my head to whoever served me.

Everyone takes their plates and puts them on their lap. I just thought of something.

"If it's too hot, I can get some tea towels to protect your legs, if you like."

"it's okay, kid. you should stay with us and eat."

"NO IT’S ALRIGHT! NO NEED TO WORRY! A LITTLE HEAT WON'T KNOCK OUT THE BIG PAPYRUS!"

Jeff doesn't seem to agree but doesn't comment. I smile at the brothers and then we all start to eat. It's a treat, I love this recipe. especially when it comes from my mother. I don't pay attention around me, too focused on the food.

But as soon as I take a few bites, my emerging good mood goes up in smoke.

"What's all this black stuff?"

I look at Jeff, moving the pasta with his fork as if he was expecting to find something undesirable. I swallow my bite and innocently answer him.

"It's pepper, why?"

"Pepper? Are you fucking kidding me? How long have I been telling you not to put any in?"

A bucket of ice water pours into my gut at his scathing words. I'm paralyzed, unable to say anything. The room becomes silent. Even a fly could be heard flying.

Sans can no longer be silent.

"hey buddy, don't you think you're overreacting ?"

His words are as cold as ice. You can hear the sharpness of his voice perfectly. Jeff can't hear it, it seems and continues to blame me.

"Yeah, but she knows she shouldn't put any spice on it! I'll never be able to do my diet if she keeps going like this!"

Sans relaxed stance is like the calm before the storm. He's about to say something sharp, but Papy interrupts him.

"I UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION, HUMAN FRIEND! MAYBE NEXT TIME THE SPICE SHOULD BE MINIMIZED, EVEN THOUGH I THINK IT'S PERFECTLY SEASONED! BUT THERE ARE POLITE WAYS TO SAY THINGS, WITH MORE DELICACY AND TACT!"

Sans doesn't seem to totally agree with what his brother says, but he keeps quiet by grinding his teeth. Jeff looks at Papy with round eyes and then scratches his head, looking embarrassed.

"Yeah, you're right, Paps. I must be tired..."

"UNDERSTANDABLE, HUMAN FRIEND, BUT NEXT TIME YOU'LL HAVE TO WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!"

"Haha, you're right again, I'll be careful."

The mood is starting to lighten, but I'm not feeling any better. I still have this lump in my stomach and Jeff's words have ruined my appetite. I put down my fork, swallowing my bitterness.

"hey, kid, it's really good."

I see that Sans made efforts to cheer me up, but he fails.

"YES, THAT'S RIGHT! IT'S THE BEST PASTA I'VE EVER EATEN! IT SURPASSES EVERYTHING EXCEPT MY SPAGHETTI!"

I give them a poor smile.

"Thank you, guys..."

And then that's it. I shut myself up in my protective bubble, tired of being hurt all the time. I let my pasta cool on my thighs and my glass of wine is left on the coffee table. The brothers sometimes try to make conversation with me, but I remain vague in my answers. My silence weighs on me, my eyes watching the show on TV in a vague way.

The plates are finished, except for mine. Sans frowns at my overfilled plate.

"hey, paps." He starts off glibly, cutting off a conversation between him and Jeff. "you should go clean your face, you've got plenty of cream."

This remark fills the big skeleton with dread.

"WHAT? YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME EARLIER, SANS! WHAT DO I LOOK LIKE NOW?"

"like a cream puff?"

"AARGH! YOUR JOKES AREN'T EVEN FUNNY!" He turns to Jeff. "I’M GOING TO BORROW YOUR BATHROOM, HUMAN FRIEND!"

"Don't worry about it."

Papy stands up sharply, which wakes me up from my second state. I see him run to the bathroom and slam the door behind him. 

No sooner when the door is closed than Sans leans forward. And takes Jeff by the collar of his shirt and draws him towards, himself for a face to face. I never knew that someone so lethargic could be so vivid. His abrupt gesture totally takes me out of my torpor and I stare intensely at the scene.

The orbits of Sans eyes are deep black, where no light can live in them. His smile is drawn in an unusual, almost frightening way.

"hey buddy, i've got something to say to you. i don't know what your problem is, but if you make a comment like that tomorrow at paps, you're going to have a bad time."

I can see a blue sheen spreading over Jeff's shocked face. I'm disappointed that I’m so far back, I want to know the source of this beautiful color. I'm moving slowly, not realizing I'm getting closer to danger. I can clearly see a bright blue iris in Sans' left eye socket.

I am totally fascinated by the aura of Sans. All my ills have disappeared and only the acts of the skeleton matter.

Jeff doesn't seem to understand the danger of the exchange because he defends himself pathetically.

"It's not my fault! It's because of her! It pisses me off, she keeps on..."

"i don't care how fat you are or if you'd rather eat shit. not a dirty word tomorrow, capiche?"

Jeff's white as a sheet. He's nodding his head, finally understanding the situation. Sans starts to loosen his grip, to the great relief of my boyfriend.

"oh, but i forgot."

His grip has become hard as iron, cutting off Jeff's breathing enough to make only a whistling sound.

**"apologize."**

Before Sans was scary, now he's terrifying. He has the face of a nightmare. His smile is so big that he can tear his own face off and his eye socket is just a deep chasm. The blue iris shines intensely, casting sinister shadows on his skull.

Jeff is scared. I'm bewitched.

In front of the captive's silence, Sans clarifies the situation.

"she made a wonderful meal, we can feel that she put all her love in her dish and you ruined it with your face. apologize."

"I’m sorry!"

The little air that circulates in his trachea makes the sentence look pitiful.

"not to me. to your beautiful lady."

Jeff will do anything Sans tells him to do, if it'll get him out of there. His head turns sharply towards me, his eyes look at me with an imploring look.

"I'm sorry, baby, I won't do it again!"

Deep down, his apologies and his unpleasant situation delights me. It is as if Sans makes me discover something. By putting him in this position of total submission. He makes me see that this man is not infallible. The image of an untouchable man, above all power. Is in fact only an illusion and it is only a man in the grip of terror, that I have in front of me.

_ Someone powerless and a coward... _

Once the apology is pronounced, Sans goes back to his usual state. A lazy smile prevailed on his face, his lights come back to life.

Sans releases a trembling Jeff, then sits comfortably on the couch. He winks at him shamelessly.

" we're on the same page now, buddy."

Jeff has barely taken a few breaths when Papy comes out of the bathroom, his face smelling of soap and, strangely enough, cologne.

" I'M BACK! WHAT DID I MISS?"

Silence is his only answer. Until Sans talks.

"Nothing important, paps. just some minor rearrangement."

Papy doesn't understand his brother's innuendo and decides not to ask more. He sits down again and makes conversation. Sans is the one who responds most often, Jeff remains fairly quiet, deep in the chair. As for me, I chat a bit before going back to the kitchen with my almost empty pot.

I put it on the stovetop, letting a sigh pass by. The situation earlier was very emotional, but I think it was necessary. Because since Jeff has been "recalibrated" by Sans, a soft warm feeling has spread in my chest and doesn't leave me anymore.

I have a sweet smile on my face as I think of my friend who helped me. I felt no fear towards him, only admiration for what he did. Speaking of the little devil, there he is in the kitchen, standing next to me.

I look at him, my eyes sparkling with happiness.

"Hey, Sans."

"hey, kid. i just wanted to tell you that your food was really good, i can't wait to try more of your cooking."

His tone is low, becoming more discreet. He doesn't want us to be listened to. I respect his choice and do the same.

"Thank you for the compliment, Sans. And also, thank you for everything, for your advice with Papy and for defending me. You were quite cool with your dark lord face and your blue eye."

Let's get to the heart of the matter. I absolutely want to express my gratitude for him, for his gesture. He blinks, surprised by my statement. Then he gives me a warm smile.

"you are weird." His voice is soft to my ears. "but i'm glad i didn't scare you. that wasn't the point."

"The point was to make me see your cool side?"

"heh, maybe. did it work?"

"You were so cool, my bony knight in shining armor!"

He laughs at my antics. I feel my joy coming back inside me again.

"and also..." He goes on, once his laughter has calmed down. "there had to be a clarification, i was tired of keeping quiet."

I smile sadly at him, fiddling with my fingers. He never looked so serious. I don't know what to say, this situation is completely beyond me.

"Thank you. Really thank you. If there's anything I can do for you, I..."

"do you really want to please me?"

I plunge my gaze into his, and without hesitation, I nod my head. At that moment, I will do everything to repay his kindness and behave like a true friend.

His pearls shine tenderly and then he whispers.

"make yourself a plate of this succulent meal and eat with me in mind."

He discreetly touches my left wrist with the tips of his phalanges.

"you need to eat."

He gently feels the bone in my wrist and I can't help but swallow as his bones feel against my skin. He's so soft, so warm. I am completely mesmerized by his looks, his words, his concern for me.

He knows that I don't eat enough...

"Okay..."

That's all I can say. He is reassured then his fingers leave me, to my great regret. Am I so lacking in affection that I jump on the slightest heat of any kind?

Papy bursts into the room, with plates and utensils in his hands. It's a miracle that nothing is broken. He offers to help me do the dishes, which I gladly accept. It will take my mind off things.

We all have a good time. I do the dishes, Papy helps me dry them and Sans sits on the edge of the bed, quietly watching us. Jeff, on the other hand, has been sitting on the chair in the living room, immersed on his phone, his hands still shaking.


	6. In the skeleton brothers' house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to draw a scene from this chapter but then nope.
> 
> This chapter wasn't beta read.

"I'm gonna go soon, Mom."

I put on my leather jacket and reach into my pocket looking for my car keys. My mother is sitting on the couch with the TV on in front of her. Sunday is the only day of the week when she can rest properly. She watches me fight to get my keychain, and she can see the annoyance in her eyes.

"We only see each other one day a week, and you're leaving already?"

"Yes, I am." I try to make my voice as natural as possible, facing her burgeoning anger. "We're having dinner at a friend's house tonight."

She clicks her tongue, her bad mood only gets worse.

"More of the other's friends."

I nibble my lip, my fingers twiddling the keys in my hands. Every time Jeff is brought into the conversation, there's a bad mood in the family. My relationship with my mother is strained because of my choice to always be in a relationship with him, and what little connection with them there is left, I want to preserve. We only have one mother, and I love her so much.

"Yes and no, Mom. They're also my friends, they're very nice."

She looks at me, with surprise. It must be the first time for her in a long time, that I tell her that I have friends. It's a little sad when you think about it. It's true that I've lost all my friends from high school since I met Jeff.

_ It's my fault... _

"Is it the truth, or is it a lie?"

She doesn't believe me. She doubts every word I've said since I hid the second time I dated Jeff in high school. She has never forgiven me. I promised myself that I wouldn't lie to her anymore, but I'm hiding certain truths so she doesn't have to worry. But for her, hiding is a form of lying.

"It is true! I just met them, they are really adorable! It's the first time we're going to eat with them!"

"We'll see."

I lower my eyes in front of my mother's doubt. The atmosphere, which was light, suddenly deteriorated as soon as I wanted to leave early.

"What are you waiting for? You're in a hurry to leave, so go. I bet your boyfriend is waiting for you."

The words "boyfriend" are spit out like venom. A heaviness settles in my chest. I hate it when we leave each other like that!

"Will you say hello to the boys for me?"

She doesn't even answer me, her eyes are glued to the television. I swallow the ball in my throat, and take my leave, gently closing the front door. I walk to my car parked just in front of my mother's house, open the door and go inside.

With my hands on the steering wheel, I let out a deep sigh It was going well, everything was going well! I knew that the moment I said I was leaving, everything was going to fall apart. The slightest evidence of Jeff's existence put a heavy and tense atmosphere in the house. I didn't even get to see my little brothers today. Kyle went out with friends and Max stayed in his room, refusing to see me. The close-knit family I've known has shattered since I've known Jericho.

Jeff often tells me to stop seeing my family. He tells me that there is no point in having a family relationship. If every time I come home from my afternoon at home I am overcome with sadness and grief. 

He even added that I never smile after a family visit. It's true, I don't smile in their presence anymore, but I was so happy with them. There was a time, a certain period of time. I would so much like to go back in time and find the family I've always known.

But that time is no longer and has not been for almost ten years. Yet I am stubborn and I want to preserve the little filial bond that remains between us. I don't want to leave them completely. Max seems to have put an end to my existence, but there is still Kyle, whom I get along with. Even Mom, when her mood allows it.

I feel like crying but instead I smile at my mother who watches over me between her curtains. I start the car, give her a sign that she barely responds, then I leave my childhood neighbourhood.

I have to internalize all this pain, there's an entire evening to spend with friends.

*-*-*-*

The car ride with Jeff is surprisingly quiet. Well, silent is an understatement, because of the loud music in his black car. The bass shakes my eardrums, making me wince occasionally. I wonder how he doesn't go deaf. No, what I mean is that there's not a word between us.

He's been strangely silent ever since Sans threatened him. No, getting his thoughts straight would be the right expression. For my part, I didn't feel any pressure when I saw yesterday's scene, just amazement. For Jeff, he must have seen things from a different angle, which is no surprise. He locked himself in silence when the brothers left yesterday. He didn't even touch me. A rare fact, because he is a man who loves sex. I'm not going to complain about it, I was able to rest.

We are in the city center, moving around as we can because the circulation is dense at this time of the evening. Then, Jeff turns right, along a rather deserted street, where I noticed a charming little bakery-pastry shop with a purple facade. It's surprising a facade of this color, I like this singularity. I don't have the time to analyze the facade any further, Jeff is driving much too fast in this narrow street.

Then he turns left and immediately turns down the music. My ears say a thousand thanks in the face of this soothing silence. At the time, I wonder why he almost turned off his car radio, but the answer is right in front of me.

We are in front of a big white automatic gate, inserted in a big fence with the same color. A garden hedge accompanies this metal structure, protecting the place from prying eyes. From where we are, I can barely see the roof of a house, which is behind it.

Jeff parks near a bollard with a keyboard, in front of the gate. He quickly types a "B" and then a "6" and waits. A few seconds go by and a high-pitched voice comes out of the intercom, located just above the keyboard.

"YES?"

"Hey, Paps!" I rediscover my boyfriend's joyful voice, awake after a brief hibernation. "We're here, you can open up!"

"DON'T WORRY, MY HUMAN FRIEND!"

The gate opens, inviting us to follow its path. We enter and are directly on a parking lot. A few cars are parked, I notice at once the beautiful red Ferrari of Papy. Jeff forks slightly then parks on a place where the number "1" is there. In a hurry, he turns off the engine, detaches himself then leaves his car. I frown at his refusal to talk to me. I shrug my shoulders and also leave his car.

I settle down and allow myself to visualize what is in front of me. We find ourselves in a beautiful residence, calm and secure. There are four buildings, whose creamy white and beige facade makes a clean and new effect. They have balconies, decorated with flowers. The multitude of flowers is so vast, that they spread over the railings. There is such a colourful mix that you think you're in a large florist's shop rather than a private home. It is so beautiful and a wonderful perfume slips into my nostrils, intoxicating me like a bouquet.

Jeff moves briskly towards the second building, where there is a "B" sign above a secure door. I try to follow him, I notice that the parking spaces are all numbered. According to the count, Papy's car is on number "6". It's strange, I don't know this system. I've never been in a residence like this one.

Jeff didn't have time to reach the intercom and the heavy front door opened, leaving room for an ecstatic Papy 

"GOOD EVENING, MY HUMAN FRIEND!"

They hug each other, like childhood friends. I'm almost there, just at the end of their embrace. Papy turns towards me, then stretches out his arms.

"GOOD EVENING, LITTLE HUMAN!"

"Good evening, Papy!"

I rush into his bony arms, but oh so warm. He gives me a soft hug, which is not in his habit. Has he noticed that we humans can't resist a hug made in Papyrus?

I detach myself from him with a smile on my lips. I am happy to see my little cinnamon roll again, my first ray of light on this rainy day.

"COME IN, COME IN! I MUST SHOW YOU AROUND, LITTLE HUMAN! YOU NEVER CAME TO OUR HOUSE, IT'S TIME TO MAKE UP FOR THAT!"

With my little legs, I enter the building and follow Papy, who hurries to the end of the corridor. I immediately notice a camera on the wall on the right corner. Papy turns towards us, then he stretches out his right arm.

" SO, ON MY RIGHT, IT'S THE ELEVATOR! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY PUT ONE, I NEVER USE IT! I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT WORKS!" He stretches out his left arm. "AND ON MY LEFT, IT'S THE STAIRS! AND BEHIND THIS DOOR, WE PUT OUR GARBAGE IN BIG COLORED GARBAGE CANS! I HAD NOT UNDERSTOOD AT THE BEGINNING, I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO PUT WHAT WE THROW AWAY ACCORDING TO THE COLOR! I WAS REALLY ANNOYED WHEN I HAD TO PUT A PINK OR WHITE PACKAGE IN THE GARBAGE!"

Papy does his heroic pose, his scarf flying in an imaginary wind.

"BUT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, UNDERSTOOD THIS GREAT MYSTERY AND BECAME A MASTER OF RECYCLING, NYEH!"

I laugh softly, imagining my poor Papy confused, in front of the garbage containers, with his rice or sugar wrapping.

"WELL, LET'S GO TO MY PLACE! AND LIKE ANY VALIANT BEING THAT WE ARE, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE STAIRS TO THE TOP FLOOR! THE LAST ARRIVED IS... UH... A TEMMIE, NYEHEHEHE!"

Papy sprints down the stairs, leaving Jeff and I behind. After this surprise, Jeff laughs and then follows the big skeleton, climbing the stairs two by two.

I sigh deeply, I really don't want to go up the stairs. I've seen enough for the week. I turn to the elevator, press the button and its doors open right away. I go inside, press the last number, which is "3".

_ For three floors, I could have made an effort... _

The doors close and then the elevator goes up slowly. I spend the time looking around me. It's really clean. No graffiti, no garbage, no dirt. The bottom of the elevator has a mirror wall, which highlights my body's flaws. Just above, in the corner, a second camera monitors my movements.

_ There is a lot of security in this residence. Was there a problem before? _

The elevator stops, makes a little bell noise and then the doors open. I get out and as soon as I'm on the landing, Papy comes out of the stairs with a victorious look on his face.

" NYHEHEHE! I WO-"

He stops dead in front of me, his eyes round, looking at me like a ghost from beyond the grave. His surprise turns into an air of betrayal, he points his finger at me.

"GASPING! YOU HAVE CHEATED! YOU TOOK THE ELEVATOR!"

I'm groping my fingers, I don't know where to stand in front of his accusations. Jeff arrives just behind the skeleton, huffing and puffing like an ox.

"Uh, I didn't feel like taking the stairs..."

"I CAN SEE THAT, LITTLE HUMAN! BUT THAT DOESN'T JUSTIFY YOUR ACTIONS. YOU HAVE BETRAYED MY TRUST!"

I bite my lip, sorry he said that. Papy is that hurt because I didn't follow the rules? No, I must be exaggerating without realizing it. I'm just too sensitive.

Door number six opens slowly and Sans stands there yawning loudly. I can finally see his dentition completely, where two beautiful fangs are enthroned, which can really hurt if one day he decides to bite badly. Hm, where do my thoughts go?

He closes his mouth then blinks, he tries to evacuate his heavy fatigue. I notice that he's not wearing his sweater, he just has a white T-shirt, leaving his bony forearms exposed.

"what's all this fuss about?"

I dislodge my eyes from his bones and I'm about to answer, but Papy speaks for me.

"WE HAD A RUN ON THE STAIRS AND LITTLE HUMAN CHEATED BY TAKING THE ELEVATOR!"

Leaning against the door, Sans looks at me, his eyes half-closed.

"bad girl."

This sentence was pronounced so indecently. A shiver runs down my back and I'm sure it's not from fear. I blush violently as I lower my head.

"Ah y-yes, maybe I am..."

"that's good to know."

He winks at me nicely. He really doesn't do anything to calm things down, but neither do I. In a shy way, I respond to him in the same way. His smile gets bigger, he gives me another wink. It becomes the battle of the blinking eyelid on the landing. It's really hilarious.

But not for Papy.

"RAAAH! THERE'S NOT ONE TO CATCH UP WITH THE OTHER! YOU BOTH DISAPPOINT ME!"

I burst out laughing, leaving Sans winning this round. I just noticed that Papy's bad mood could make him say things that can be hurtful to sensitive souls. So, I shouldn't take everything he says at the first of the letter.

Papy sighs heavily and then stands by their front door. I take a look at a third camera, just above their door, in the corner. I look back at the tall skeleton, his sad look has already disappeared, to give way to his usual joy.

"WELCOME HOME, MY FAVORITE HUMAN FRIENDS!" He notices that his brother is still standing in the middle of the door frame. "SANS! MOVE OVER, YOU ARE OCCUPYING THE WHOLE SPACE, THEY CAN'T EVEN GET IN OUR HOUSE!"

"heh, excuse me for being so  _ big _ , paps." He doesn't seem to want to move.

"BUT HOW CAN YOU BE BIG IF YOU'RE ONLY MADE OF BONES?"

"the answer is under my pants."

"SANS, YOU'RE HORRIBLE! GO AWAY!"

Papy grabs his brother without mercy and throws him further into the apartment, a thud is heard. The passage is now free.

"HERE YOU GO, YOU CAN PASS!"

I hope Sans fell well and that he didn't land on the hard ground. I start to go inside, noticing just in time a nice sign "6" above the frame. I wonder for a moment if the number six doesn't chase me, since I myself live in an apartment of the same number.

I am in their apartment and I am directly in a corridor, where there is a door in front of me. Jeff lets go of me, but gives me a salty look. I am not allowed to hear his words, yet his bad mood is coming towards me. I decide not to care. I'm at a friend's house.

He follows the hallway and finds himself in another room to my right. Papy comes with me for a visit, not forgetting to lock the front door behind him.

He opens the door in front of me and we find ourselves in a beautiful bathroom. On the right, there is a large mirror with a double white marble faucet, with its storage cabinet. There is also a washing machine, accompanied by a tumble dryer. On the left, there is a toilet and a beautiful Italian shower with double sliding doors. It can easily accommodate two people.

We leave the bathroom, then follow this small corridor to land in a large living room. Along the wall on my right, there is a three-seater beige sofa, placed between two other doors, one of which is personalized with car stickers, and a glass coffee table. I am reassured that Sans has landed on this soft sofa. He doesn't look injured, on the contrary. He's slumped down on it, his orbits focused on the TV.

To the right of the sofa is a nice flat-screen TV on an elegant oak TV table. Right next to it, there is a large storage cabinet, where we can see small decorations like shiny stones, a blue flower under a vase, and a strange rock, looking like a pebble.

At the back, there is a huge bay window, covered with long salmon-colored curtains. There must be the flowered balcony just behind. On the left, two magnificent light oak sideboards are arranged, where flowers of different colors are bathing in vases. In the center of the living room is a large table, already set up for dinner, with eight chairs. Jeff is sitting on one of them at the far right, immersed in his telephone.

There is a door frame between the bay window and the wall with the sideboards on my left. A wall where a lot of things are hung, like paintings but mostly photos. I don't have the time to analyze more the people represented on the pictures, I follow Papy who goes through the frame.

We are in the kitchen and the color orange dominates the room. The fridge, the cupboards, the furniture, the dishwasher, everything is in lacquered orange. It looks very retro, I like this touch of personality. The kitchen is not large in width but in length. All equipped, it would make the happiness of a lover of the kitchen. Papy is so proud of it, and I am happy that he found the kitchen of his dreams.

"SANS!" His happiness is short-lived. "YOU DIDN'T CHECK THE WATER!!"

In a beautiful orange pot, the water is boiling hot, throwing boiling liquid on the hotplate. It's even dangerous, I step back.

"oops, too bad."

" WE CAN NEVER RELY ON YOU!" He turns to me, barely avoiding a steaming stream of water. "YOU LITTLE HUMAN, THE DINNER'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE! YOU CAN SIT IN THE LIVING ROOM IF YOU WANT!"

"Okay, Papy. Good luck. If you need any help..."

"THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN HANDLE WATER ATTACKS, NYHEHEHE!"

I smile softly at him and go into the living room. I observe where I can sit and notice that there is a plate next to Jeff. I guess that's where I belong, so I sit down. Jeff shifts his phone slightly so I can't take a look at it. He doesn't raise his head, doesn't talk. It's going to be a long time until dinner. Besides, it looks like Papy is having a fight in the kitchen, considering the noise of the cutlery and closed cupboards too loud.

"so, how you like it?"

I turn my head, Sans is right next to me. With his arms folded over the head of the free chair, he waits quietly for my answer. Unfortunately, the answer does not come because I am too busy observing his bones. They are pearly white, thicker than human bones. The joints have no space between them, they are just glued together to form a complete member. I have a deep desire to touch it, to know if it has the same texture as his hands.

Softly Sans laughs, making my sensitive heart vibrate.

"you like what you see?"

I look at him for a moment, before bowing my head, peony red. Damn, I'm really not discreet. He laughs again at my shyness. Jeff puts his phone away and looks at the scene, silent.

"Uh..." I take a deep breath and look at him again. I prefer not to answer the second question. "It's nice here. It's beautiful, clean and it looks like your home is recent."

"yeah, it's less shabby than your place."

I'm hurt by his remark. Jeff doesn't seem to like it either. His hand, resting on the table, has formed a fist.

"You..." I swallow hard, trying to internalize my dismay. "Do you mean it? Don't you like coming to my house?"

He opens his eyes, confused by my questions. He notices the suffering in my eyes, despite my attempt to hide it. He immediately feels ashamed.

"no, that's not what i meant." He scratches the back of his head, his lights avoid looking at me. "it's just... you deserve something worthy of you."

His statement soothes my discomfort, a gentle warmth spreads through my body. You have to hang on tight in these emotional elevators.

_ But... what would be the thing worthy of me? _

"That's nice, Sans."

"it's not nice, it's just the truth." He shrugs.

I smile affectionately at him.

"Still, you're the only one who tells me."

His eyes find me again, his smile stiffens for a few moments, before returning to a placid expression. He stands up slowly and then puts his hands in the pockets of his shorts.

"well, they're missing something." His gaze becomes soft. "a cup of coffee?"

"With pleasure!"

He nods, about to leave when Jeff opens his mouth.

"I'd like one too."

Sans stops, looks at him with a scowl, as if he'd eaten some acid.

"oh yeah, you're here."

Jeff winces at his flat, lifeless words. But he makes no comment, even having the audacity to look at him in his dull lights. The skeleton's face is frozen like ice.

"ok." He finally answers, then heads quietly into the kitchen.

Bursts of voices resonate all the way to the living room.

"SANS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"a coffee for our guests."

"BUT, THEY WON'T BE HUNGRY ANYMORE IF YOU MAKE THEM A COFFEE AND THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO EAT MY INCREDIBLE SPAGHETTI! IT'S OUT OF THE QUESTION!"

"And a tiny little coffee?"

There is a short silence.

"ALL RIGHT... JUST A TINY LITTLE COFFEE."

I make a smile when I hear their exchange. This bond between brothers is really something. It is beautiful, unique, full of cheerfulness and humor. It is a deep brotherly love. It reminds me of my brothers and me, when everything was going well when nothing could separate us.

It was beautiful times.

I take the opportunity to look at the wall in front of me, where the paintings and photos are. But it is the photos that interest me more. There are various people, mostly monsters, who are represented. A couple of a monster fish with a lady lizard, a large goat holding a human child in its arms, a very colorful robot taking a similar pose with Papy. Also, a shy Sans, with a flower crown on his head, posed by the goat monster sitting next to him. They all seem to be happy, especially Sans with this goat woman...

I feel Jeff's hand resting on my thigh. This gesture of affection surprises me.

"How are you feeling?"

I'm completely taken aback by his question, by his concern out of nowhere. It's not his habit to worry about me.

"Yeah, why?" I really don't understand.

"Sans is... very clingy. It can make you uncomfortable."

His fingers caress my flesh.

"No, he's not doing anything wrong." I can't help but defend him. "He's nice because we're friends!"

"Yeah, I saw that." He frowns. "I think he's overdoing it, especially after what happened yesterday."

He hasn't talked this much since the incident. That makes me feel a little better, I thought Sans had broken him.

"I don't think we're used to it." I blow gently, putting my hand on his. "We don't know this kind of affection. I think they act in a different way than we do."

"Do you think monsters act differently in friendship?" He seems to be thinking, his gaze resting on an invisible spot on the table. Then he smiles. "Yes, you're right. They are different, even better than humans."

_ Am I right? Damn, it's going to rain literally cats and dogs tonight! _

"But," he continues, looking at me with a soothing smile. "If Sans goes too far and you feel bad, tell me. I'll make sure to keep him away from you."

What's happening to him? He's never been protective of me. Jealous, yes, but never like that. To my surprise, I'm still happy that he gives me his attention. His hand, his gaze, his thoughts. In this moment, they are directed towards me. I feel loved.

I nod my head, understanding these words. He seems reassured. His hand presses more against me, a few fingers slide between my thighs.

Sans returns to the living room, two small cups of coffee in each hand.

"and there you go."

He comes between us and is about to put down our coffee, when his lights notice the hand on my thigh. His expression is illegible, only the corner of his smile twists slightly.

He stays like that for long seconds. He starts to worry me.

"Sans?"

I call him softly. That must have triggered something in him, because he slams the cups on the table violently, making us startle. The hand between my thighs has disappeared.

"get a room."

Then he leaves. He sits quietly on the chair opposite, his hand holding his head, and looks at us as if nothing had happened. Yet I know something is going on, his lights are shining fiercely.

_ I... I upset him? _

I swallow, a feeling of guilt gnaws at my stomach. Not feeling the courage to stare at him any longer, I plunge my gaze into my coffee. It's a miracle that nothing is spilled. I put my fingers on this little cup, basking in the warmth of the ceramic. I bring it to my lips, then blow into the black beverage.

"Thank you." I whisper, before taking a sip.

The coffee is strangely delicious. The bitterness of the beverage has a fruity aftertaste that sparkles on the tongue. As soon as I swallow, this "fizzing" continues down the throat and disappears in the stomach. I've never tasted a coffee like this before. I look at Sans, whose lights never let go of me.

"It's really good, Sans!" I exclaim, my good mood regained. "What did you put in it?"

He is happy with my attitude. All stiffness disappeared as soon as I complimented his coffee. However, he says nothing. He only waves his fingers with his free hand, preserving the mystery. I laugh, but drop it. Sans and his secrets!

On the other hand, Jeff makes a funny grimace when he drinks his own.

"Dude, you forgot the sugar."

"oh, yeah?" He doesn't even deign to look at him, his attention is always on me when I keep drinking with enthusiasm.

"Uh, can I have some sugar?" Jeff's survival instinct must not exist.

"you gotta move your ass."

At least that's clear. I finish my coffee happily, unlike my boyfriend, who didn't move at all.

"Can I have a second one?" I can't stop asking. This coffee is exquisite and this cup is far too small.

Sans laughs, making his bones vibrate.

"little greedy girl." Her smile is so big, blissful. "but i can't, or else paps will kill me."

"Oh..." I pout, disappointed.

"next time i'll make you a mug."

He winks at me. I'm happy about this news. I plunge my eyes into his pearls, we have a staring contest. I have the impression that it's Sans who's going to win again. Good God, his lights are like stars. It's beautiful, bewitching...

Seductive.

I jump violently when I feel a sharp pain in my thigh. Jeff just pinched me hard. I look at him quickly, completely stunned by his gesture. He gives me a look of pure betrayal.

"Jeff, it hurts!" I accuse him, rubbing my aching limb.

"did he touch you, kid?" Sans is shocked by what he saw.

"No, it's nothing!" I defend despite myself my boyfriend. "He just pinched me!"

His lights suddenly vanished. Only two deep black orbits are fixed on the sweaty man.

"looks like you didn't get the message, buddy."

His tone is dark, rumbling. Jeff begins to shake, he can't articulate a word in front of this face of death.

"IT'S READY!"

Papy comes into the living room with his beautiful pot in his hands, like a savior. I sigh inwardly, relieved that Papy always comes at the right time.

Dinner goes... strangely well. Sans has regained his lazy side, even if he's watching my boyfriend from a bad view. Jeff doesn't comment on the undercooked spaghetti. He even compliments the chef, which makes Papy happy. I also praise him, leaving nothing on my plate. The big skeleton almost fainted from happiness. After the meal, I offer my services for the dishes, Papy politely refuses. He wants me to make the most of the advantages of being a guest. What a sweetheart...

It's getting late, it's time to leave. We thank the cook again for the meal. We prepare ourselves slowly, Jeff puts his hand on the front door.

"WAIT, HUMAN BEST FRIEND!"

Ah, looks like Jeff has earned a point of affection. Even my boyfriend is surprised, but he doesn't say anything. Papy is right behind us, accompanied by his lifelong little sidekick.

"I WANTED TO INVITE YOU TO A TRIP TO THE SEA! I ALREADY ASKED LITTLE HUMAN AND SHE AGREES! IT WOULD BE FABULOUS IF THE FOUR OF US COULD GO ON AN OUTING TOGETHER!"

I am... terribly disappointed. I thought it was an outing between Papy and me. A walk with friends, away from the stress and pressure of private life. Problems will come with me, I will be unable to clear my head.

"That would be great, Paps!" Jeff is excited about this project. "Let's do this, next week?"

"COURSE!" Papy's orbits are like stars. "WE'LL GO WITH MY CAR, IT'LL BE A GREAT RIDE!"

"Yeah! We'll text each other to say what day it is? Anyway, we'll see you before then!"

"ABSOLUTELY, NYHEHEHEHE!"

We say goodbye, then Jeff opens the door. He already goes down the stairs, delighted of this future outing to the beach. I don't share this enthusiasm, the disappointment still clinging to my chest.

"LITTLE HUMAN!"

Still on the landing, I turn around slowly. My two skeletons are there, at the frame of their door. I give them a faint smile.

"Yes?"

"I JUST THOUGHT YOU DON'T HAVE MY PHONE NUMBER! NOW THAT WE'VE PASSED OUR FRIENDSHIP DISH WITH DISTINCTION, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA THAT WE EXCHANGE THEM! IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU, OF COURSE!"

I really can't hold a grudge against that angel face. I'm too weak for anything cute.

"With pleasure, Papy!" With a real smile, I take my phone out of my pocket.

He does the same with joy, waiting for me to reveal my contact information. That's what I do, slowly and out loud. He records and then sends me a text message. My ringtone rings, I can see on my screen a text message from my tall skeleton.

Unknown number (11:23 PM): NYEH!

I laugh and save my cinnamon roll.

"It's done!"

"THANK YOU! MY HUMAN FRIEND, I MUST LEAVE YOU! MY DUTY TO CLEAN THE KITCHEN AWAITS ME! HAVE A GOOD EVENING!"

"Don't worry, I have to go too. Have a nice evening too."

He makes his big singular laugh and leaves us, like a rocket ship. I giggle and then look at a much quieter skeleton.

"what?"

"I'm waiting for your number, Sans."

"heh, don't you usually get the guy to ask the girl?"

"If you don't want to..."

"no, it's okay."

He takes his phone out of his shorts pocket, taps a few keys. My ringtone rings, I see a notification.

Unknown number (11:38 PM): i've already got your number honey

I chuckle at his humor and register his number. I put my phone away, he does the same.

"Thank you, Sans."

"no problem, anytime."

I give him a little smile, wave vaguely and then turn away. I start walking down some stairs when his voice resounds.

"really, kid, anytime."

I turn my head towards him, my hand on the railing. His diamonds shine strangely under the electric light in the stairwell. I can't read him, he has decided to close the book.

"Thank you again."

"...take care of yourself."

"You look tired too."

His eye sockets are a pure surprise. I don't wait for his answer, I keep going down to join the driver of a black car.

Jeff is there, leaning against his car. He smokes a cigarette in a lively way, stress is read in his jerky movements. He sees me arrive in the parking lot, his eyes express a deep irritation.

"Are you done hitting on them?"

His question is full of reproach, a sharp pain pierces my chest. I stop near the passenger door, devouring my lip. My anxiety rises a notch in the face of his bad mood.

"I was just saying goodbye..." My words are pitiful.

He clicks his tongue, throws his still lit cigarette butt to an unknown place in the parking lot. He points his finger at his car and then orders me, in a harsh voice.

"Get in the car. We have to talk."

I nod, then follow Jeff into the vehicle. He starts up and hurries away from the residence, the engine growling ferociously in the quiet of the night. I didn't notice that there was a shadow with glowing eyes watching us from the third floor balcony.

"What did I tell you earlier?"

Jeff's tone is close to the effect of an acid. He is burning, dangerous, hurtful. I try to swallow my sobs and respond correctly.

"I don't really know..."

"I told you that if Sans go far, you warn me and I'll take you away from him! And you, you continue your little game, you wre literally eating yourselves with your eyes just now ! Under my nose too !!"

"But we weren't doing anything ! We were passing the time, like friends !"

"Ah !" He is laughing at me. "You have to stop always taking this excuse of a friend to do things like that! You think the world is all beautiful and nice, but I'll tell you one thing, baby. His behavior is anything but normal!"

I don't say anything more, my eyes fixed on my thighs. My eyes are veiled by tears.

"I see how he is! I don't say anything but I see! It's not normal to be like that! He is cold, aggressive, especially after what happened yesterday! He's creepy looking at you like that, he looks at you like you're a piece of meat! And you don't do anything to calm him down! On the contrary, you like it!"

His words hurt me. He says so many bad things about Sans, even though he's the sweetest, most caring person I've ever met. I try one last time, weakly.

"But, he's so sweet..."

"He's nice, because he has an idea in the back of his head! Even if he's a monster, he's still a guy, damn it!"

He puts a punch on his steering wheel, making me jump. It's not the first time Jeff has had this kind of outburst of anger, where hitting inanimate things can rain down. I wedge myself more to my right, to leave as much space between us as possible.

_ That's not true. Sans is not a manipulator, he doesn't want to do anything like that, especially with me. He just wants to protect me! _

I'm trying to convince myself by all means that Jeff is wrong, even if he wants to plant a doubt in my mind. There is a short silence while he parks in front of our house. He sighs strongly, my muffled cries are the only noises that resonate in the cabin.

"Listen..." He starts more slowly. "I don't like this situation, it's going to end badly, I can feel it. So please don't encourage him. Get as far away from him and put as much distance between you and him as possible."

I really don't want to. Sans makes me feel so good, he takes care of me and we have a good time making jokes, even dubious ones. I'm not allowed to share that with him anymore? To laugh, to be happy for a moment?

"Please, babe..."

I raise my tearful gaze to Jeff. He gives me this face that I can't resist, his begging and desperate look distorts his face. He takes my hand gently, like a lover giving attention to a girl.

_ I'm weak, so weak... I hate myself... _

I avert my eyes, then nod my head. I feel ashamed, uncomfortable, torn to make a decision contrary to my heart. Jeff gives me a relieved smile, all traces of sadness have suddenly disappeared from his face.

"Great!" I don't share his joy. "Come on, let's go home, let's watch something on TV to take our minds off it!"

He gets me out of his Chevrolet Corsa Classic and takes me to our building. I let myself be guided like a rag doll, his hand still clinging to mine. Yet, I don't care. This fake warmth can do nothing against the cold sadness, lodged in my soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lylou said:  
> Well, I had a hard time describing the brothers' apartment ^^' I had fun making plans of their home, as well as Jeff and Emilie's apartment. I'll put the links for the next chapter if you're interested! If not, too bad, I'll keep them to myself! XD


	7. Beach excursion - 1st part

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update of the tags too! Be sure to check them!

We return home peacefully, under the night sky of the city. Jeff is driving and for once without a fuss, with his hand resting on my thigh. Our fingers are intertwined and a serene silence fills the car. It relieves me that he didn't put on his techno music at such a late hour.

We've just come back from an evening with one of Jeff's new friends. He's a human classmate from his formation, who needed my boyfriend's help with a mechanical problem: engine problems apparently. They spent the whole afternoon trying to find the source of this failure. I was just watching their distress, out of the mess of the car.

His name is Steve. He's a tall guy, measuring almost two meters with a good stature. He could knock your jaw off if he slapped you. But he's a nice person, very calm and often offers small espresso shots. I've never heard him raise his voice, even when they've been bending over in the engine for hours. Unlike Jeff, who threw a ratchet on the sidewalk. I will have to pay for a new one.

To thank us, he had offered us a frozen pizza from his tiny fridge in his tiny apartment. A giant living in a matchbox. It was obvious that he wasn't rolling in gold, but his welcome was worth all the wealth in the world. I immediately appreciated him for his simplicity, I hope we'll see him again soon.

Jeff parks in his usual place, in front of our house. He made an effort, he managed to park in one spot. He must be in a good mood. 

Once he has checked that his second girlfriend is safe for the night, we enter the building. A smell of mold or musty odor irritates our noses. The weather changes and the humidity comes back with the bad smells.

As soon as we take a few steps, the door of apartment two opens wide, revealing our favorite neighbor.

"Hey, I need to talk to you!"

Her squeaky voice is as pleasant as her face. I really don't want to talk to her. It's late and I want to rest under the warm blankets of our bed. Jeff glances at the two of us and then gives me a forced smile.

"I'll leave you two ladies alone!"

Then he leaves, letting me be alone in this situation. It doesn't even surprise me, he has never been very brave. The neighbor approaches me, she looks very irritated.

"So it’s at this hour that you two return?"

_ Why does she care? _

I just shrug, not really surprised by her nerve to interfere in other people's lives.

"You know it's almost 11 pm, there are people sleeping here!"

"Nobody sleeps at this hour in this building." I answer quietly. My blankets call me.

"Yeah, but that's not a reason! You have to respect the others, you're not the only ones living here!"

However, when we return late enough, we make sure not to make noise, not to disturb anybody. But it doesn't seem to disturb the woman, quite the contrary.

"Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk about!" She puts her thick glasses back up. "You must tell your friends to make less noise in the corridor!"

"What friends?" I ask, surprise.

"Your monster friends." She responds menacingly.

I frown, a rare anger rises in me. A protective instinct blossoms in my soul. I want to defend them at all costs, especially against a vixen.

"If you don't like monsters, you shouldn't have lived in this city." The animosity is revealed in my voice. I make no effort to hide it.

"You know how they are!" She totally ignores my resentment. "Since they've been here, they've been spreading like cockroaches! Anyway, I've warned the owner.He's going to tell you about it soon, I'm sure!"

My hand itches a lot, her glasses will be much better on the floor. I've never been violent, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to punch someone in the face. This woman continues in her rant of defamation.

"Besides, the biggest is the worst! He makes all the noise on his own, with his dumbfounded face! I never-"

_ Not my little cinnamon roll! Especially not him! _

A nerve cell has disconnected, I don't control my anger, like a drop overflowing from the vase.

"Shut up, Laura. Go get fucked by your boyfriend, it'll calm you down."

The famous Laura gasps gracelessly, shocked by my cold explosion. I turn away and go up the stairs, not wanting to deal with this type of person anymore.

It was later in the evening. Under my fluffy blanket, that I realized my audacity and congratulated myself for my courage. I have never gotten so angry like that, raising my voice to defend a person. In the arms of my boyfriend, I make a sweet smile. Papy deserves to be protected, especially from this harpy!

*-*-*-*

This is the first time in my life that I have sat on a leather seat in a sports car. It's comfortable, you could sleep without any problems and without back pain. The problem is that I don't dare to move an inch. It's silly, but I'm afraid of damaging it, especially since it looks expensive.

"you know you're allowed to move, kiddo."

I turn my head, Sans is sitting next to me. His elbow resting on the armrest between us. He's as relaxed as in any chair. I wish I could feel as comfortable as he is.

"you look a little tense, heh." It amuses him a lot.

"I'm afraid of damaging the leather..." I answer, ashamed. It's really silly when I hear myself say that.

"it's ferrari leather, i think it'll hold up your jeans."

His eyes reflects his amusement. I smile, relaxing a little. I allow myself to move, and to be in a comfortable position, in front of him.

"are you uncomfortable?"

"It's the first time I'm in a sports car, so yes a little. But it's exciting!"

"A real little adventure, huh? It won't be the last time you take a ride in it."

I don't think it's totally up to Papy, but I prefer not to say it.

"Papy's got a nice car, I'm glad he could afford such a beautiful lady!"

"it was paps' dream to buy a car like this. He cried when he held the wheel for the first time."

"Oh, poor Papy" I look at the tall, bony driver, who's in the middle of a conversation with Jeff. "That must have been emotional, especially for a big brother like you."

"heh, i had a few tears."

I can imagine that scene, Papy crying rivers in his new car, while his brother has some orbital leaks.

"How about you? Do you have your own car?"

"no, too much work."

He shrugs. I'm laughing, I suspected that answer. Sans and his legendary, uncontrollable laziness.

"on the other hand, i have a motorcycle."

"What?" I am very surprised. "But I didn't see a motorcycle in your parking lot!"

"normal, it sleeps in the garage."

I didn't know they had a garage. I didn't see anything like that when I was in their residence. I probably didn't pay enough attention.

_ Still, Sans on a motorcycle... It must be very cool! _

"It's great, Sans! I'd like to see it one day!"

"... i could even take you for a ride, if you want."

I remain silent, astonished that he makes me such an offer. I see his lights shining brightly, it seems he is almost afraid of my reaction. He exposes himself with this request, and I have an immediate response lodged on my tongue.

_ "So please don't encourage him. Get as far away from him and put as much distance between you and him as possible." _

Jeff's words invade my mind like a disease. Sudden anxiety is reaching my guts I stare at my boyfriend's back for a long time. He doesn't pay any attention to what's going on behind him, he's in the middle of a lively exchange with Papy. He is happy and full of energy, nothing disturbs his happiness.

_ Why am I not allowed to feel joy when he does? _

I hold my hands tightly. I know that at this moment I have to make a decision. A decision that is mine and truly close to my heart.

"...kid?"

Sans notices my paleness. My features drawn by a stress that eats me up, the smell of my fear. I take a slow, deep breath. I lighten my anxiety then turn my gaze towards him.

I have made a choice. My choice.

"All right."

He blinks, confused by my behavior. I smile serenely at him and put my hand on the sleeve of his blue hoodie. I feel his bones through the fabric, it soothes me instantly. His lights look for a moment at my hand on his forearm, before coming back to me.

"All right."

I've decided that my friendship with Sans is more important than Jeff's bad mood. Especially when I'm in front of my little skeleton. His big, relieved smile and his diamonds shining in a strange way. His phalanges brushing against my skin in return. These beautiful things are worth all that I endure, and will unfortunately endure.

I know that he understands that I am hiding things from him, he knows that there is something deep, something vicious in my relationship with Jeff. I can't fool him, his pearls see everything.

Sans is about to tell me something, but Papy cuts it off.

"WE'RE HERE, GUYS!"

His vocal outburst breaks our bubble. I quickly detach myself from Sans and place my hands under my thighs. I thank myself for my liveliness. because Jeff has just glanced in our direction, before looking straight on the road. I sigh with relief. Sans seems detached, unlike his eyelights. They could pierce a skull full of flesh, right in front of him.

I let go of these emotions that are too intense for the moment, I need to take my mind off it. I look carefully through the car window.

We are in a small seaside town, less than an hour's drive from Ebott City. Small stores parade one after the other. Restaurants, bars and food stands are crowded.

We walk along the beach, looking for a place. Some tourists walk around but not many stay on the sand to relax, even less to swim in the sea. The beach is empty compared to the city.

"Hey, Paps!" Jeff tries not to laugh. "Did you check the weather forecast before coming?"

"WHAT? I HAD TO WATCH THE WEATHER? BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS STILL WARM AND SUNNY AT THE BEACH, JUST LIKE IN THE PICTURES!"

That's the problem, the weather. The sky is as gray as metal, I even wonder if it's going to rain. A strong wind is blowing against the Ferrari car's structure, competing with the hum of the engine. The weather is bad for mid-September, the summer season is not here anymore.Too bad, I'll have to keep my swimsuit under my clothes.

Papy is not losing courage though. He finally finds a place, in a paying parking lot. With his dignified laughter, he turns off the engine and propels himself out of his beloved car and into the trunk. He just forgot to tilt the seat so that I could get out.

I shake my head, laughing softly. His excitement makes him so forgetful! I put my hand on the side of the seat. To try to find the lever to make the seat tip forward. I find it easily, I activate it to make it tip over. But since I'm not good at it, I can't make it tip. I get quite irritated by it and try multiple times, but still nothing. Well, that sucks.

"a problem?"

Sans's head appears in the opening of the driver's door. He is clearly enjoying my situation.

"You're out already?" I didn't even notice that I'm alone in the car, because I was fighting with that lever of....!

"yeah. your boyfriend can be very helpful once you get him tamed."

I giggle, but I stop just in time.

"That's not funny, Sans."

"you laughed, it's too late to deny it." He flips the lever, then swings it with disconcerting ease. "madam is free"

I get out of the car, finally delivered. I laugh at the situation.

"you're terrible ." He laughs with me, his hands eternally in his pockets.

"No, not really. Thank you, Sans."

I look around and see Papy pulling out a parasol that he puts proudly on his shoulder. Jeff helps him by taking an imposing beach bag. Are we really going to swim in this weather? The cold wind answers in their place. It is going to be a refreshing day.

"can i help?" I ask Sans.

"women don't carry." Neither does he, apparently. "leave it to the brave."

"Sans, I didn't know you could be so gallant."

"heh, there are many facets you don't know." He gives me his familiar wink.

It's true, he does. I don't know Sans yet, but I can't wait. Today I discovered something about him. I look closely at his white and blue sneakers, with their untied laces.

I can't help but tease him.

"I see you have a pair of shoes."

"of course, you thought i didn't?" He easily plays into my game.

"I don't know, I see you with your slippers all the time. I thought that's all you had."

He laughs deeply.

"of course i have other shoes, it's just that slippers are more comfortable."

"I see." I squint, not understanding that slippers are comfortable on a sidewalk. You have to feel all the rocks under your feet.

"in addition, i would risk damaging them on the sand."

"Yes, that would be a pity. Also, I don't think Papy would accept wet, sandy slippers on his bench."

"that would be death for me."

We both laugh. No wind, no gray sky can taint our good mood. Until Sans stops its beautiful glow, then throws a sharp glance behind me.

"you have a problem?"

His voice is cold, like the ocean on the horizon. I turn around and see Jeff watching us, his eyes containing only repressed rage. I immediately feel this ball of distress in my stomach.

"No, it's just that she has to stop it."

Papy has stopped all the noise in the trunk.

"stop what?" Sans' eye sockets twitch.

"She's misbehaving, she's too close with you!"

I'm horrified by Jeff's attitude. What's gotten into him? Oh no, don't let them argue right now!

"she does what she wants, she's not a little puppy you can tame. also, we're friends, so it's normal to be friendly."

Jeff remains silent, but his bitterness is always present.

"get out of your cave and learn to behave like a human being with emotions."

My boyfriend is about to say something harsh, but Papy appears right behind him with his hand on his shoulder.

"MY BEST HUMAN FRIEND. I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS, BUT DON'T WORRY! SANS AND THE LITTLE HUMAN ARE JUST AS CLOSE AS YOU AND I ARE! THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, EXCEPT THAT WE'RE A QUARTET OF FRIENDS AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME TOGETHER!"

He massages Jeff's outstretched shoulder, to soothe him.

"DON'T BE AFRAID, BEST FRIEND. STOP DOUBTING AND START TRUSTING!"

Jeff sighs heavily. His hollowed-out features fade away, an apparent pain can be seen in his eyes. He turns to Papy, a trembling smile.

"It's going to be hard, Papy..."

"THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS THERE TO HELP YOU IN YOUR MOMENTS OF DOUBT, NYHEHEHE!"

"Thank you..."

They walk away to the opposite sidewalk. Sans makes a funny noise, as if he slams his tongue against his palate. His gaze did not lose sharpness.

"he's making his little victim, not a poor trick."

I nibble my lip, looking at him intensely. Sans is no longer the same, I can no longer find my joking and lazy friend. Instead, I have someone cold and resentful. With a shadow on his face. And this shadow has not left his face.

"You all right, Sans?" I blow, uncomfortable.

"i told you i won't shut up anymore."

He doesn't even look at me when he says those words, still stabbing Jeff with his eyes. I shake my head and gently grab his sleeve. This gesture pulls him out of his inner tornado. He turns towards me, eyes wide apart. I give him a sincere smile.

"Come here, let's enjoy this moment."

He blinks, then responds to my smile. He follows me, guided by my fingers clinging to his fabric. We join the others, I reluctantly let him go.

Our walk takes place in a singular atmosphere. Papy and Jeff lead the way, happily discussing any subject that comes to mind. Sans and I are right behind them, sharing jokes in a calmer atmosphere. There is not really any communication between the two "groups", which is a pity. But at the same time, it's for the best. You can still feel a tension between Sans and Jeff. Papy doesn't want to mix them up, to avoid creating more conflicts.

In this beach resort, I notice that the skeleton brothers attract a lot of attention. Some tourists look at them for a long time, others are more discreet with only a few glances. They must not see many monsters around here. What bothers me is that my friends have become tourist attractions, against their will. They seem to not realize it, or don't care. At least, there is no clash and the tourists stay at a good distance.

We are about to reach the beach. However, the large skeleton stopped in front of an imposing sign. After a lively reading, he has an expression of wonder.

"WE CAN GO UP ON THE CLIFFS!"

We stop close to him. I look at him, confused.

"I WOULD LIKE TO CLIMB THE STAIRS TO OBSERVE THE LANDSCAPE AT THE TOP OF THE CLIFFS! WE CAN DO THAT? JUST BEFORE THE BEACH?"

"uh..." Sans doesn't seem to be willing, drops of sweat appear on his skull.

"COME ON, SANS! THERE ARE ONLY 365 STEPS BEFORE REACHING THE PEAK! IT'S REACHABLE FOR EVERYONE, EVEN YOU!"

I have the impression that this new information has pinned the little skeleton in place. I laugh softly at his expression.

"...okay." He can't resist his little brother.

"WOWIE! LET'S DO IT!"

Papy takes a big step towards the place where the stairs are supposed to be, followed by Jeff who does what he can to join him. We are behind, but at least we are walking in the same direction.

After a good ten minutes walk, we are in front of the famous staircase. Some courageous people take it. Already exhausted by the effort, but they are not numerous. The steps are cramped but at least there is a handrail for the clumsiest. It would be a shame to break your neck. There are a lot of stairs, and there are a few steps to catch your breath. Fortunately I love Papy, otherwise I would never have embarked on this adventure.

Papy and Jeff have already started climbing, it looks like they are racing up to the first level. Sans and I haven't started yet. We're still analyzing the event in front of us.

"i'm not equipped for this."

He jokes. Then slowly shakes one of his sneakers, the laces dance in the open air. Maybe he's saying this because he doesn't know how to tie his shoelaces and is afraid of breaking a bone if he falls? I don't look any further, I get down on my knees and start tying his shoelaces.

I should have thought a little more.

"uh... what are you doing?" Sans is completely shocked, a stream of sweat runs down his skull.

"You said you're not equipped, so I'm tying your shoes." I respond as naturally as possible, even if I panic inside.

"why are you tying my shoelaces? i can do it just fine." He takes a tissue out of his pocket and dabs it on his head. It has little effect.

"I thought you didn't know how to do them, considering the way your shoelaces are laying on the floor." That's a pretty pathetic excuse.

"maybe i'm too lazy to do them?" A blue blush accompanies his sweaty friend.

"So let me accentuate your laziness and finish your laces. You can come with us then."

".... is it so important that i come?" He finally has the courage to look at me. I don't realize it, I'm too focused on his shoelaces.

"For me, yes."

Sans doesn't answer anything, he observes me on his knees in front of him. He has gone into thoughts that are far too private, too buried. People pass by at that moment, then a child asks without discretion:

"Mommy! What is the madam doing with the man?"

"Ah uh..." The poor mother doesn't know what to say. "She's just a mom tying her... kid's shoelaces."

The situation becomes embarrassing.

When Papy arrives at the first level, he turns around sharply. Almost hitting a passer-by with his parasol, and then shouts out.

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?"

I get up as if nothing had happened, but my blush betrays me. Sans is not better, he tries to ventilate himself with his handkerchief, without success.

"I equipped Sans with his shoelaces!" I shout to Papy, then we finally start to climb these horrible steps. The big skeleton is amazed by my answer.

"I NEVER MANAGED TO TIE MY LACES! IT'S A WONDERFUL PUZZLE TO SOLVE! BUT I CAN'T COUNT ON HIM TO HELP ME, HE HAS NEVER DONE ANY!"

I barely reach the first level and then turn to Sans. He has turned navy blue, due to the embarrassment of this revelation(and other things). I suspected that he couldn't tie his shoelaces. These double knots won't be done in vain! Jeff, on the other hand, has the eyeballs coming out of his orbits. I'd rather ignore him.

"I'll help you with this puzzle, Papy." I smile softly at him, taking a few breaths in my ascent.

"WOWIE! THANK YOU, LITTLE HUMAN! I CANNOT WAIT!"

Then he leaves in a hurry, a beautiful "NYEH" can be heard a few steps higher up. Jeff gives us a bad look, before following Papy. I shrug, I feel protected by the presence of Sans, he won't do anything to me. For the moment.

I smile at my friend, who has regained his legendary laziness. And then I say, without energy.

"Well, I think we must get going."

"heh, ladies first."

I giggle and climb the stairs valiantly, helping myself to the railing. Sans, is standing right next to me with his hands in his pockets. It's dangerous, I hope he doesn't fall down.

A serene silence reigns between us for more than twenty minutes. Sans decides to put an end to it at some point.

"you didn't text me."

This subject comes out of nowhere, I didn't expect him to engage in this kind of conversation. Well, if it saves me staring up at these infinite stairs.

"Neither did you." I answer in a soft voice. I can't look at him, I'm too focused on putting my feet on these tiny steps. How does Papy do it with his big feet?

"heh, good point."

I can't stop worrying about one thing. A dark thought comes over me.

"Would you text me back if I texted you?"

"what kind of question is that?" His voice is full of surprise. "of course i would."

I smile, reassured by his comforting words. It would have been a great pity if he didn't answer me, especially if I found the strength to send him an sms. With all the problems that this implies.

"why are you even asking me this question?"

I look at him, I pray that I don't break my expression doing this. My friend is worried, preoccupied with my disturbing question.

"Because I can only answer you when the situation allows me to." It's better that I tell him the truth.

Sans frowns. A shadow creeps over his face, his lights lose their natural glow.

"....is it because of him?"

I don't have time to answer, we're already at the top.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Zeli talkin
> 
> Sooooo... The updates won't be weekly. If you couldn't tell.  
> For one big reason: the chapters are getting more difficult to translate for me, and so a Beta reader is not just a great bonus but a necessity. And the beta reader of this and probably future chapters is Teipereno, and she's a busy woman.  
> So be patient with us, ok?
> 
> ANYWAY, since the chapters will take longer than expected, would you be interested in a brief summary of the previous chapter each time a new chapter is published?


	8. Beach excursion-  2nd part

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta readed.  
> *bows*  
> I'm very sorry for this delay.  
> I won't say promise anything but I will finish translating this story. I hate leaving my works in progress, they're either finish or erased.  
> And it's only a translation. I will do it.  
> I still want to apologize cause I'm the one who should show this amazing french story to you but I'm failing at it.

The sight at the top of the cliff is incredible. Despite the bad weather, nothing can take away this wonderful feeling. The city seems so small, the houses pile up one after the other, like colored cubes. People can be compared to ants, walking around the beach at the pace of a snail. The most impressive is the immensity of the sea. Grey as silver, it knows no limits and swings briskly with the ferocity of the wind, exploding against the dull sand. I do not regret having climbed so high to see such a performance!

Yet, it seems that the wind is not inclined to welcome life in these altitudes. Around twenty people here are paying for it. It's so cold that my teeth rattle, my scalp is abused by these torrents of air, giving me a crazy hairstyle. I tighten my poor leather jacket against me, a violent shiver runs through my body.

I feel a little push, which attracts my attention. Sans moves the head, indicating to follow him. That's what I do, moving away from the edge of the cliff and Papy with my boyfriend.

A little further on, there is a small building where it proposes local products. No one is queuing, maybe there are not enough people brave enough to venture out here. We go to the counter, I stand against this temporary shelter, trying to protect myself from this ungrateful wind. It works a little, but it's not glorious. A young salesman appears at the checkout. He seems surprised to see a skeleton, but like any good salesman, he makes no remarks and masks his amazement with a smile.

" do you want an ice cream?" Sans winks at me, then takes his wallet out of his pocket.

"Uh... it's a little cold." I'm embarrassed. He's nice enough to invite me and I refuse because I'm on the verge of hypothermia.

"a waffle then?" He won't let go, but the feeling of something warm is a sweet temptation.

"Yes, okay, thank you."

His smile gets bigger, he orders and then pays. It pleases me that Sans offers me something, even if I am troubled. I've never been offered anything like this before, except with family. That was a long time ago, back in a happy time.

"I'm embarrassed that you are taking something for me."

"i don't mind, it's to thank you for my shoelaces."

I blush slightly from this embarrassing situation. I don't know exactly why it happened, but my poor little skeleton doesn't seem to mind.

"Let me take something from you, too!" I reach into the inside pocket of my jacket and pull out a small bill.

"why this?"

"It's to thank you for being by my side."

His lights shine brightly at my words. He gives me a gentle smile, puts away his wallet, and looks at the menu displayed near the counter. There's not much choice.

"a vanilla ice cream."

I nod, just when a beautiful waffle with whipped cream and chocolate syrup appears before my nose. I welcome it with joy, then order the largest vanilla ice cream on their menu. Farewell, little bill.

"you don't have to, kiddo."

I decide to pretend I didn't hear anything.

"Aren't you cold?"

The wind is horribly polar. With its ice, it will be refrigerated. He looks at me for a moment, before answering:

"we don't feel the temperature the same way humans do. our magic maintains a stable heat in our bodies."

He says that as if it's the most natural thing in the world. Lucky him, I'm freezing my ass off in here! A little envious, I prefer to change the subject.

"Have you had a good rest since the last time?"

He laughs weakly, without joy. Just the opposite of his usual self.

"it depends on the days. even though i wonder how you managed to see that."

" You have drawn lines on your face, that's how I realized."

"i don't have a face." I puff on his joke. "how about you? have you eaten your pasta?"

"All the way to the bottom of the pot, thinking about you as you told me!"

We both laugh. A vanilla ice cream whipped cream sundae presents itself to us. Sans takes it, we thank this charming salesman and then we sit on a bench near the stand. I'm cold just looking at his ice cream.

We start to eat. The warmth of the waffle in my mouth is paradise on earth, facing the bad weather. I moan with contentment, like a child. Sans giggles at my attitude, then does an astonishing thing. He licks his ice cream, like any other person, but his tongue is bright blue. I forget to chew, squinting at this surprising appendix, at the very least. I get caught by my friend, I have to say that I am not discreet. With a mischievous look in his eyes, he makes a wavy movement with his long and thick tongue covered with ice, before hiding it behind his teeth. A small clicking sound resounds when his dumplings clatter together. I remain like an idiot, my mouth open, eyes wide open.

"close your mouth or you'll swallow flies."

It has the desired effect. Hmm, this waffle is very interesting. I devour my poor victim, beneath the rumbling laughter of the little skeleton.

We're having a good time. We talk about everything and nothing, making the lamest jokes one after the other. This is when I have a moment of weakness, especially when I see Sans' happy face.

_He's not manipulative at all... Jeff is wrong..._

I release a bomb.

"He wanted me to get away from you."

Sans almost drops his ice cream, in front of this sudden change of conversation. The good mood disappears, giving place to something as dark as the weather. I continue, my eyes watering.

_I can no longer remain silent. I can no longer, especially in front of him._

"The worst part is that I agreed. He pushed me so hard, pressured me so much that I finally agreed. To have a moment's peace."

Sans says nothing, his face is dark and frozen. My guilt is gnawing at me for giving in so easily. And yet, my friendship with Sans counts a lot to me.

"But I've seen you again and we're having such a good time, we get along so well. I can't, I can't... abandon you..."

Her smile writhes in the face of my distress.

"do you want me to take care of him?"

_Did I hear right? Did I understand his question correctly, or am I imagining it?_

"Huh?"

"i see he didn't understand my clarification. i can take care of his case."

I look at him attentively. His face has something I've never seen in him, almost sinister. His diamonds have lost all glow, his smile has a sinister grin. There's something grim about him, and anyone who saw him at that moment would run away. But not me. He doesn't scare me, I don't feel any fear when I dive into him.

I am even attracted, like an insect to a flame.

“... No, Sans. Thank you, but I don't want to break this friendship that Papy had such a hard time finding."

I don't want him to do anything stupid. Maybe I'm going too far in my ideas, but I won't take the risk. Sans says nothing, all animosity slowly disappears. My friend came back as if he had just woken up from a short nap. He looks at me for a moment, a little sigh escapes between his teeth.

"you're really something." His tone is soft, pleasant, with a hint of melancholy.

I smile sadly. My hand rests on his forearm and caresses him for a moment:

"You too."

I remove my hand. I can no longer face this look that is too bright, too much of something I cannot say.

Papy and Jeff come back from their observation, near the edge of the cliff. They are happy, full of energy, nothing can burst their bubble. Except maybe the food.

"IT PROPOSES FOOD, HERE?" His eye-sockets are full of stars.

"right there, paps." His brother just swallowed the whole cone at once.

"WOWIE! YOU'VE GOT TO GET YOUR STRENGTH BACK! ESPECIALLY AFTER ALL THE EMOTIONS, I THOUGHT MY BEST FRIEND WAS GOING TO FALL OFF THE CLIFF! ESPECIALLY SINCE HE WAS GETTING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE EDGE!"

"an accident happened so quickly." Sans' voice is without emotion.

"SANS, DON'T TALK ABOUT MISFORTUNE!" Papy is upset by this idea. "COME ON, MY BEST FRIEND, LET'S GET SOME SNACKS!"

The two friends head towards the ice cream stand, where they order something. Papy invites them. I watch carefully Sans, always sitting next to me. I worry about his state. I understand that he may have underlying anger towards Jeff, but I don't want it to eat him up or make him do something he'll regret. I see his pearls and then whisper to him, reassuringly:

"It's going to be okay, Sans."

"heh, i should be the one to tell you that." His smile is thin, flat. "i won't let you down, kid."

My chest is gorgeous with happiness, a nice warmth spreads in my body. It feels good to feel supported, that you won't be let down at the slightest problem. Sans is a real friend, I am so lucky to have met him.

My eyes express an unrestrained joy.

"Thank you... I won't let you down either."

Strangely, my good mood doesn't reach him. His pupils aim at an invisible point in the distance, a weary look emanates from him.

"you'll say that again when you get to know me."

I am confused by his answer. I don't understand what he means by that. Is he doubting me again?

I don't have time to question him, Papy and Jeff come back with their ice cream. I notice that there is no tongue sticking out of my cinnamon roll, he eats his ice cream directly with his teeth. I feel bad for him.

We all finish our little dessert, it feels good to rest a little. The break is short, Papy already is ready to go again.

"ARE WE GOING? IT IS NECESSARY TO ENJOY THE BEACH WHILE THE WEATHER IS NICE!"

I don't see any sunbeams between its thick grey clouds, but I don't contradict it. It is his enthusiasm that is the sun of our day!

We slowly go down the stairs. It is much easier going down than going up! Papy is always in the lead, Jeff is stuck to him, like a shadow. He did not speak to me once since we are here. It doesn't presage anything good, but I don't say anything. I did enough damage when I confided in Sans.

Speaking of my little skeleton, he is always near me, even if he is silent. I'm worried about his silence, I just hope it's his habitual calmness and not the premises of something deeper. He notices my worried face. His smile widens slightly, then winks at me. I reply in the same way, reassured. I worry too much for nothing.

We finally arrive at the beach, after a descent of the cliff and a walk of about ten minutes. It is rather empty, at least we have room to move around.

Our feet leave footprints on the wet sand. We approach rather close to the sea. Papy is overexcited.

"FINALLY ARRIVED ON THE BEACH, NYEHEHE!"

With force, the tall skeleton puts the parasol deep in the sand and then opens it. I don't think we need it, but if it makes Papy happy. Jeff puts the bag next to the parasol, Papy takes the opportunity to rummage inside and then takes out two orange armbands. Then, he gracefully takes off his armor, to leave room for a little t-shirt that arrives just below his chest and tangerine bathing shorts. His white top is personalized with a writing "Fool Nude". A third person made a nice red cross on the "F" and the "N", a correction was necessary to make it "Cool Dude". For sure it's less pornographic.

"Aren't you going to be cold?" Jeff asks, squinting at the spine in the open air.

"HAVE NO FEAR, HUMAN BEST FRIEND!" He puts on his armbands. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAN ENDURE ANY HARSH CONDITIONS WITH DAILY, RIGOROUS TRAINING!"

"You're so cool." My boyfriend is in ecstasy. Sans' smile gets distorted for a brief second.

"NYEHHEH!" He swells his chest. "NOW LET'S DIVE INTO THIS WATER AND ENJOY THE INVIGORATING JOYS OF THE SEA!"

"Uh..."

He doesn't give Jeff time to answer correctly, so he rushes into the tumultuous water and dives in. We hear a strange noise between a scream and strangulation, then Papy's skull comes back to the surface, his smile frozen.

"THE TEMPERATURE IS PERFECT!"

The three of us look at him for several seconds, undecided. Jeff is the first brave one, to my amazement. He takes off a few clothes, leaving only his T-shirt and his black bathing shorts. He takes a deep breath and then hurriedly joins Papy. I didn't miss the unmanly scream as soon as his foot touched the water.

I hesitate for a few moments, then take off my shoes and socks. No question of showing off in my swimsuit, I have no bravery in front of this unwelcoming sea. I move slowly, I shout as soon as my little feet are assaulted by this saltwater. Damn, it's freezing!

Sans laughs at my pain. He also takes off his sneakers and socks, then decides to join me in my torment. When his bony feet to the water, he can't help but shiver violently. I even heard his bones crack under the pressure, I laugh back.

"Well then, I thought your magic was protecting you from all this?" I'm laughing.

"I didn't expect it to be this cold."

His smile is big, his eyes bright. I want to tease him even more, I can no longer resist the call to crime. With my elephant grace, I try to throw water at him with my foot. He didn't expect my joke and gets a good amount on him. I even believe that liquid has entered his nasal cavity and his eye sockets.

He remains frozen, his lights have disappeared in the face of my act of betrayal. I burst out laughing, his expression is worth gold. I try again and, to my great surprise, he dodges it like an expert. He knows how to move when he wants to.

"little cheater."

It should be forbidden to use such a voice. I'm getting shivers, or maybe it's because of the cold? A beautiful blue eye lights up Sans' left eye socket, his hand is out of his pocket. A cyan aura surrounds his phalanges. Suddenly, I see a large quantity of water levitating behind him, bathed in a light of the same color as his magic. I didn't even know he could do that, cheater!

"Huh? What? But, that's not fair!" I attempt a defense, which looks pale in the face of this flying menace.

"you wanna play?" He doesn't listen. Sadist! "we're gonna play."

I'm executed on the spot by this torrent of water as icy as my feet. It catches me instantly, I even open my mouth because of the shock, which was a terrible idea. Seawater tastes really bad.

Sans laughs loudly, very satisfied with his joke. I don't have time to enjoy it, I cough to get rid of this excess liquid that got into my nostrils and throat. I must have drunk gallons of it, I still keep coughing. Damn, I'm going to choke!

My skeleton stops laughing at my excess cough. He immediately puts his hands on my shoulders and shakes me weakly.

"hey, are you okay?"

He is worried about me. I finally stop dying, shivering heavily. I place my arms against myself to gain a semblance of warmth. I'm soaking wet, my hair is pressed against my forehead, my makeup is dripping with black.

"I'm cooooold!" I complain, clenching my teeth.

"oh, shit. i must have been a little hard, sorry.

His hands vigorously rub my arms, to warm me up. It doesn't really affect me, but I appreciate the gesture.

"i'm so stupid..."

I look at him, my lip trembling. His lights shine in a muffled way, due to his concern for my well-being. He blames himself terribly. I don't want him to put himself in such a state for me. I smile to console him, then put my index finger on his nasal cavity. He stops his movements.

"Hey, that was fun."

He looks at me intensely. I slowly remove my finger and wink at him. He giggles gently, then resumes his friction.

"yeah, you should have seen your face, heh. it's etched in my memory."

We laugh, like idiots.

"I didn't know you could levitate things..."

"yeah. to make it up to you, i'll give you a little private session."

I have a funny image of Sans, juggling apples with his magic. My imagination knows no bounds.

"You'd make a good little juggler."

"heh heh."

He keeps me warm, even though my feet are still in the water. He's so kind, so caring. He is a true friend. I never let him out of my sight, either. I have a strange urge to hug him. Just to help him warm me up. Am I allowed to do that?

"NYEEEEEH! THE PARASOL!"

We startled, alarmed by this cry of distress. Papy stormed out of the sea and sprinted towards the parasol that had blown off the beach, dancing in the wind. This spectacle makes me laugh heartily, accompanied by Sans. I don't notice that his eyes are not focused on his brother's misadventure. They are fixed on me and my squeaky laughter.

Soon after, we decide it's time to leave. The wind is even stronger, a drizzle even begins to appear. The way to the car is faster, we can't wait to get to the shelter.

Papy leans the driver's seat for me. I'm about to slip into it when he asks me, in an uncertain voice:

"DID YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY, LITTLE HUMAN? DID YOU SMILE AGAIN?"

I contemplate him, for a few moments. My feet hurt, I'm wet, I'm cold, and this beach towel on my shoulders doesn't warm me up much. I must look like a raccoon because of my wet mascara. Yet, despite all this, my chest has never been warmer. A bubble of happiness sits there and thrones like a queen.

"Yes, Papy, I had a great day."

I give him my biggest smile. Papy is happy about this news, he feels that he has accomplished a mission of the utmost importance.

*_*_*_*_*

Jeff and I went back to our apartment. I'm still shivering, my wet clothes don't help stabilize my body heat. I need to change as soon as possible.

Jeff doesn't think so.

"What's on your mind?"

I stop in the middle of the living room. My boyfriend stayed by the closed front door.

"I told you to get away from Sans! You're doing the exact opposite and there's been an argument because of you! You fucked up the mood!!"

I definitely don't want to talk about it. I'm cold and I'm starting to get a headache. But, I know I couldn't run away from this fight, Jeff is too stubborn when he wants answers, especially answers that he wants to hear.

"And what were you doing on your knees in front of him?? In front of everyone!"

"I was just tying his shoelaces." I defend myself, in a weak voice.

"Are you fucking kidding me? From a distance, it sounded like you were sucking his dick!"

I am completely shocked by these accusations, which have no logic! Is he completely crazy or what?

"Do you realize what you're saying? It's nonsense!" I get carried away despite myself, still stunned by such an injustice.

"What's nonsense is your attitude! You deserve a good punch, maybe that will make you less stupid!"

His reproaches hurt me. His eyes, his voice, his words tear my heart. Is he even threaten to hit me? That's a new one!

However, I won't give up Sans a second time. Despite my migraine pounding on my head, I remain upright and look him in the eyes.

"I will remain friends with Sans."

My answer does not please him at all. He is furious, his hands tremble under this barely contained rage.

"Damn, you're a real weather vane! A few days ago, you tell me you're going to move away and then you tell me the opposite! That blowjob must have been great to flip your brain so easily!"

I'm taking my courage in both hands. To disguise my tremors of fear, I cross my arms and say in a firm voice:

"I'll stay friends with him whether you like it or not."

I am glad that my voice did not waver. My heart misses a beat at his expression of pure malice. His face is twisted, disfigured, his onyx eyes reflect a real storm of hate.

On the corner of the desk, he grabs the ashtray and throws it violently on the floor. I shudder at his sudden gesture, swallowing this ball of anguish in my throat but do not lower my gaze. For a moment, I thought he was going to throw it at me, but the object landed a few centimeters from my feet.

Yet, I remain stubborn in the idea that Sans has the right to stay by my side, and that this man in front of me has no right to deprive me of it.

"I'm going for a walk."

His voice exudes such resentment. He grabs his keys and slams the door behind him. I stay like this until I am sure he is far away. An engine noise roars through the closed window, I finally breathe a trembling sigh.

Mechanically, I kneel down. I turn the ashtray over, take the ashes and cigarette scraps as I can in my hands, then put them in this unbreakable container. A beautiful black streak has remained, the carpet is ruined and I don't have the courage to clean it up. I put the filled ashtray back in its place.

I go into the bathroom, wash my hands, remove my make-up, and put on warm clothes, which are lying on the dirty clothes tray.

With a slow step, I sneak to my bed, taking refuge in this soft paradise. I have a headache, I feel like crying, and I think Jeff is going to put me through hell for upsetting him. Too bad, my skeleton is worth it.

I take out my cell phone that I picked up earlier. It's a good thing I left it in Papy's car, otherwise, he would have drowned. I need comfort, I need my mischievous little rascal.

Me (9:04 PM): Hey.

It didn't take a minute before I got an answer.

Sans (9:05 PM): Hey little freezer, miss me already?

Me (9:06 PM) : Maybe ;)

I don't know if I should tell him that my feet almost got broken by a glass ashtray... I don't think that would be a good idea.

Sans (9:06 PM): You want my expert hands to warm you up?

I smile softly as I read his attempt at wobbly humor. Wrapped up under the comforters, in this bed that is far too big, in this apartment that is far too quiet, Sans' presence, even by text, makes me feel good. I answer him, getting back into his game.

I got worried earlier in the day when he asked me if he could take care of Jeff. My thoughts went too far at that point, taking a darker turn on the meaning of those words.

Sans is the most adorable of friends, my support and companion. He won't be able to hurt anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want, you can tell me if you see any mistakes or weird phrasing. Since it's not beta really beta reader... No pressure though.

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna interact with this chaotic translator and creator you can click this Discord link:  
> <https://discord.gg/7mtvT3vj7R>


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